Save Me From Insanity
by avatar-chik
Summary: Gaara is a patient of a mental health institution and has been for two years. Will he ever be freed from insanity? Longer summary inside. GaaraxOC, non-pairing. AU. SOME cussing and violence in places, but not much and not super descriptive.
1. Introduction

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM NARUTO, NOR DO I OWN ANYTHING FROM NARUTO. THE ONLY CHARACTER THAT IS COMPLETELY MINE IS YUMI. _**

**_I hope that you all enjoy! R&R!_**

Gaara is a mental health patient and has been one for a little over two years. He was first admitted at the age of six for the murder of his uncle. The child was soon released after it was proven that he killed him out of self-defense. Even though he was free, the six-year-old had to see many counselors to help him with his unstable emotions. Gaara was readmitted at the age of ten for the murders of his siblings, Kankurou and Temari, and because of his record also stated that he was emotionally unstable. He was admitted into the psychiatric ward and was sentenced to remain there until he was believed to be able to function normally under certain circumstances.

At first, Gaara was treated with most of the freedoms that any other patient received, especially since he was one of the younger ones. But not long after his arrival, several minor mishaps happened, one of which included Gaara displaying a new symptom. When around blood, Gaara became a completely different person, turning violent and becoming a threat to the other patients.

After that incident, he wasn't allowed to leave his room as often and had to always be accompanied by a nurse. Then one day, Gaara's nurse was found dead in a janitor's closet near Gaara's room. Of course, the redhead was the first person blamed. After Gaara's second and third nurse simply vanished, he was put under tighter security. Some people would think that it's unethical or illegal to put a child through such restraints. It might have been, but with all the things that had happened, the staff didn't know what to expect from him anymore. No one said anything about it and no one reported the authorities. It wasn't like the authorities would do anything anyway. After all, they were only taking necessary steps to ensure their safety from a psycho killer, right?

Two years after Gaara's admittance, the head of the department, Tsunade, noticed that the redhead wasn't really receiving any treatment. She knew that nurses, doctors and the ward's counselors weren't getting anywhere.

Tsunade searched through dozens of resumes before coming across one that caught her eye. She then contacted Dr. Yumi Morita, requesting an interview with her.

Dr. Morita is a psychologist who specializes in one-on-one counseling. One of her past cases still haunts her till this day. Hoping to make up for what she blames herself for, she takes Gaara's case.

In order to help save Gaara from the hell he had been living in for two years, Yumi must overcome the past that still causes her uneasiness.

* * *

**_What do you think so far? Does this sound like it's worth continuing? Please review and read chapter 1!_**

**_Also, I must give credit where credit is due._**

**_I got this idea after reading "Friendship is Crazy, Literally!" written by GaaraxShukakuIscute. It was originally a GaarXSaku non-pairing fic and ended up being discontinued. I have to give credit to this author, since this is where I got the idea of a mental institution, and a few small details as well. Everything else however, has been changed so that it is my own._**

**_Also, thank you to Raye1084 who helped me with the prologue and chapter 1. Thank you also to NeferNeferi who helped me with the prologue and all the other chapters that I have typed up._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW AND READ CHAPTER ONE!_**


	2. Yumi's New Patient

Yumi was sitting in a chair in front of a large wooden desk. Tsunade was sitting on the other side of the desk, looking over Yumi's records one last time. The curly brown-haired female waited patiently, listening to the ticking of the clock that hung on the wall and doing her best to ignore the frequent banging noises that came from outside the office. Her green eyes wandered around the room, taking in the different details. She was amazed at how many books and scattered pieces of paper there were. Most of the books were in large stacks throughout the room. Yumi's apartment was cluttered with different things, but not to the point that Tsunade's office was.

"So, are you still interested in helping us out?" Tsunade asked, setting the female's resume down on the desk. "This would be the first time that we hire a psychologist to look after any specific patient. Most of our staff deal with trying to find medicines that would help the patient."

"I am interested, but I would like to know more about the patient you want me to work with." Tsunade nodded, picking up a manila folder and opening it.

"I can't go into detail unless you accept the case, but I can tell you the general information."

"I guess that's better than nothing," Yumi sighed.

"The patient's name is Gaara. He is twelve years old and has been with us for a little over two years now. We haven't really made any progress with him. I really hate seeing a kid his age in here. If there's a way to get him out of here, he deserves that chance. The psychiatrists have given up on him, since there isn't any specific medicine to give him. He refuses to take the medicine we do give him, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway." Yumi looked down at the ground with sad eyes as memories ran through her head. "So what do you say? Will you give it a shot?"

"There may be nothing I can do," she said softly. "I'm more like a counselor than anything."

"That may be exactly what he needs though. We haven't really tried that yet, or at least not very well."

Yumi thought for a moment before nodding. "I guess it's worth a try."

"I really appreciate it. There is one thing I need to tell you about though." She looked at the older woman with quizzical eyes. "You will hear a bunch of rumors about Gaara, especially from the nurses. Please, don't believe any of them right away. I will tell you right now, it is true that one of Gaara's nurses was found dead and that three of them vanished. I won't deny that. There is no proof, however, that Gaara was behind any of it." The brown-haired female sighed, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

"May I please see his file?" Tsunade handed her the manila folder. She opened it and quickly skimmed it over, shocked by what she read.

**XxoooxX**

**Name: **_Gaara Sabaku_

**Admission Date: **_January 19, 2006_

**Reason(s) for Admission: **_Murder of two siblings_

**Notes:**

_Before admission, Gaara was receiving counseling in order to help him deal with some of his emotional instability. The patient was found on the crime scene with the murder weapon in hand. He had both his brother's and his sister's blood on him. He showed no emotion and was silent for several days._

_During admission, Gaara seemed quiet and reserved. He didn't want to talk to anyone and refused to take any medication. He was allowed to move about on the third floor, which was where his room was, during certain times of the day with the other patients. An incident occurred where one of the other patients had cut himself. Upon seeing the blood, Gaara showed a complete change in personality. The ten-year-old became extremely violent and tried to strangle the patient and lashed out at anyone who tried to even come near him._

_Gaara has been moved into tighter security and has lost most of his roaming privileges. He has also been labeled as being extremely unstable around blood._

**XxoooxX**

Yumi closed the folder and sighed.

"Is this all you have?" she asked. Tsunade nodded.

"It's all that I'm allowed to give you anyway," she told her. "I understand that you don't have a medical background, but that doesn't concern me right now. I will personally let you know when Gaara needs to be taking any medication. You are in charge of Gaara, starting today. There are still some nurses who take care of him, or at least try to. If they don't listen to your orders, let me know and I'll take care of it." Yumi smiled and nodded.

"I would like to meet with him now." Tsunade stood up and motioned for her to follow.

Yumi tagged along behind the blonde haired woman down several white hallways. They walked up a set of stairs and then down another hallway. Tsunade was just about to open up one of the doors when a nurse burst out with a bunch of pills flying through the air behind her. The door closed and the two women stared in shock at the terrified nurse.

"What happened?!" Tsunade asked.

"I was trying to get Gaara-san to take his medicine," she answered, still sounding a bit spooked. "He grabbed the dixie cup from me and threw the pills at me."

"What does Gaara need medicine for?" Yumi asked, slightly confused.

"They're just vitamins," the nurse sighed. "The other patients take them too. He's not the only one." The brown-haired girl nodded.

"Well," Tsunade began, "He's all yours." The blonde turned her attention to the nurse. "This is Dr. Yumi Morita. She is in charge of Gaara, so anything she says goes. Let the other nurses know as well." The nurse nodded and scurried away, Tsunade slowly following.

Yumi stared at the door and gulped. This was the first time that she had to deal with someone from a "psycho ward". She honestly had no idea what to expect. From what she just witnessed, she was a little nervous. Who wouldn't be?

Taking in a deep breath, she reached for the handle and slowly turned it. She entered the dimly lit room, shutting the door behind her. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a young boy within the corner of the room. He had messy blood-red hair, pale skin, sea-green eyes, and black circles surrounding the eyes as well. On his forehead was a tattoo of the kanji sign that meant love.

The boy slowly met her gaze, sending chills down her spine. He hugged his knees to his chest, not taking his hate-filled eyes off of her. She knew that she wasn't welcomed there. This wasn't the first time this had happened. She had worked a few cases, but there was one case in particular that stood out in her mind.

Lost in her thoughts, she quietly chuckled to herself. The red-haired boy squeezed his legs even tighter, thinking that she was laughing at him. Remembering where she was at, Yumi noticed the increase in tension between the boy and her.

"Who are you?" he asked softly. His voice had a naturally light tone to it and was slightly muffled because he had his face buried in his knees.

"I'm Yumi Morita," she answered softly. "Who are you?" The boy narrowed his eyes.

"You know my name," he said bitterly. Yumi sighed and took a seat against the wall by the door.

"It's Gaara Sabaku, right?" The red-haired boy nodded slightly, still not taking his eyes off the stranger.

"I already told that other nurse that I wasn't taking any pills."

"Why wouldn't you take them Gaara?"

"I'm not sick," he muttered, finally breaking eye contact with her. He closed his eyes and buried his face deeper into his legs.

"Alright, I'm not going to make you take them if you don't think you need to." Gaara looked up at her with questioning eyes. No one just let him be, at least none of the other nurses did.

"What are you?" he asked, a dab of curiosity mixed in with his voice.

"I'm your case worker," she answered. "It's kind of like a counselor, but a bit different."

"So how long is it going to take you to quit?" Yumi could feel a pain in her chest. She had heard that same question before. It didn't faze her then, so why did it hurt now?

Yumi inhaled deeply and slowly released it. "I'm not going to quit," she told him flatly. Gaara narrowed his eyes at her again.

"Yes you will. Everyone has quit on me, counselors and psychiatrists. By the end of the week, they all said that there was nothing they could do and then they left. You'll do the same. You're no different than the rest of them." Yumi softened her eyes.

_"Why does he remind me of Touma?" _she wondered to herself. _"He's so different, yet he's so similar it's unreal."_

"How do you know? We just met, so how can you tell that I'm the same as everyone else?"

"I just can."

"Then what do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not like the others? What can I do to earn your trust Gaara?" He closed his sea-green eyes, immersing himself in thought.

"Nothing," he whispered a few moments later. Yumi felt slightly saddened.

"Alright Gaara," she sighed, getting to her feet. "I'll let you be in peace now." She slowly exited the room and walked down the hall, dragging her feet beneath her the entire way.

The red-head stayed sitting in the corner of his room, clutching onto his brown cotton pants and digging his fingernails into the fabric.

"I drove another one away," he whimpered to himself, burying his face as deep as he could. _"Why do I have to keep driving them away?"_

* * *

**_So, is it still worth continuing? Let me know what you think! I'll post chapter two next Wednesday, but if I get enough reviews I might post it on Sunday. So if you want it up sooner and if you like it, please let me know! I really want to know what you all think._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! IT WOULD MAKE ME SO HAPPY!_**


	3. Memories and a Lack of Hope

Yumi was sipping her coffee, thinking about the dream she had had the previous night. It wasn't surprising that it was about Touma. He had been her most life-changing patient. After meeting Gaara for the first time the past day, she couldn't stop thinking about the two of them and how much alike they were.

_**XxoooxX**_

_A young teenage boy sat on his couch, staring grumpily at Yumi. She was sitting across from him in a wooden chair, giving him a quizzical look._

_"You don't seem very happy about me being here," she told him. The boy gave her a big nod and folded his arms across his chest._

_"I don't know why my mom is making me see a counselor," he grumbled. "There's nothing wrong with me."_

_"I'm not here because something is wrong with you," she explained. "I really have no actual purpose of being here if you don't want me here." The blue-haired boy gave her a weird look._

_"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously._

_"If you want, we could just sit here and do nothing. It's up to you really. If you want to talk with me, I'd be more than happy to talk with you. I guess you could think of me as kind of being a friend or even just an extra body." The boy looked down at the ground with soft velvet eyes._

_"Can I read my book?" he asked._

_"If I can see what you're reading first, then I don't see why not." The boy leaned forward over the couch and pulled a book out of his backpack. He tossed it to her, obviously not caring about damaging it. Yumi looked at the cover title and then read the summary on the back. Her green eyes went from side to side as she read a brief description of the book. When she finished, she smirked and tossed the book back to him. The boy smirked back at her and opened it._

_"One more thing," she said, causing the boy to look back up at her. "I'm Dr. Yumi Morita, but you can just call me Yumi. I don't really care about formal titles."_

_"I guess you can just call me Touma," the boy sighed before looking back down at his book._

_"It's nice to meet you Touma."_

_She sat there while the young boy read his book. After about a half an hour, he looked up at her and sighed._

_"You know my mom is probably just going to fire you soon," he informed her. "You should save yourself the trouble and quit now." Yumi frowned and shook her head._

_"If I stay long enough, you'll also learn things about me. For instance, I really don't like quitting. I like to keep at it until I know I'm going to lose or until the very end. The only things I've really quit before finishing are board games."_

_"I'm guessing that you suck." The brunette grinned and nodded. Touma rolled his eyes at her and continued to read his book._

_**XxoooxX**_

Yumi sighed and got up. The brunette threw her Styrofoam cup away as she walked out of the lounge room and headed to Gaara's room. She was a couple of minutes late, but she didn't think that it was too noticeable.

When Yumi opened the door to her patient's room, her eyes widened at what she saw. There were three male medics surrounding the redhead. Two of them were holding the boy down while the other one was trying to force his pills down his throat. Gaara was struggling beneath the medics' holds, but they were too strong for him. He turned his head away from the medic who was forcing the medication on him, whimpering as his chin was grabbed again and his head was forcibly turned.

"What in the hell do you guys think you're doing to my patient?!" she exclaimed, rushing over to where they were. The medic that had the pills turned toward her and smirked.

"This kid is _your_ patient?" he jeered. "How can you handle him if we can't even get him to take his medication?" Yumi glared at him and snatched the Dixie cup filled with pills away from him, throwing it across the room. The medic stared at her with wide eyes, not believing what she had just done.

"Get out now!" she snapped, pointing toward the door. "I don't want any of you near him again, is that clear?" The man glared down at her for a few moments before motioning for the other two to follow him out. They released her patient and slowly followed their _"leader"_. Gaara looked up at her through terror-filled eyes, breathing heavily.

"Did they hurt you at all?" she asked, looking down at the redhead with concern. Gaara sat up and shook his head. "I know that you don't want to take any medicine, but they are just vitamins. If anything like that happens again, just take the pills and tell me about it later. I promise that I will take care of it." Gaara's eyes widened with shock for a moment before he turned away in aggravation.

He looked back in her direction when he heard her footsteps fading away. He watched with confusion as she sat down in the same spot as the day before.

"You're angry at me, so I'll come closer when you're not so worked up," she informed him. The redhead looked down at the ground with sad eyes and nodded.

"You came back," he whispered.

"Well, yeah! I can't come on Sundays, but I'll come every other day. I would make it a promise, but I know that something bizarre is going to happen to prevent me from coming if I do." Gaara blinked at her and slowly pulled her knees to her chest.

"Why?" he whimpered.

"Because I want to help you get better," she told him. Gaara's eyes narrowed at her.

"I'm not sick," he growled.

"I'm sorry. Let me rephrase that. Right now, I'm here to keep you company. We can talk if you want to talk, or we can just sit here and do nothing. If you want me to, I can even bring in stuff for us to do together."

"So you want to be my friend?" he asked softly. Yumi smiled.

"If that's what you want to call it." Gaara looked down at the ground with sad eyes.

"No," he clarified.

"Alright, that's fine too. We're just acquaintances then." The room went silent for a few moments before Yumi broke it. "I'm guessing you don't go to school." Gaara looked up at her again with pain in his eyes.

"Tsunade gave me some work books so that I can keep learning. I don't know what good it does me since I don't know if I'm doing it right." Yumi nodded in agreement.

"If you want, I can check your work for you. I'll be more than happy to help you if you need it too."

"Why?" he asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"Because I think knowledge is important. I don't have to if you don't want me to though."

"I just want to be alone right now," Gaara told her. Yumi slowly stood up. She knew that her visits were going to be short the first few times since he wasn't used to people interacting with him.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she told him, turning to leave.

"My workbooks are under my mattress." The brown-haired woman stopped and looked back at the young boy. He was looking down at the ground, doing his best to avoid eye contact with her. She slowly approached his bed and lifted his mattress up, finding three workbooks.

"Did you finish all three of these?" she asked with surprise, picking them up and putting the mattress back down. Gaara nodded, biting his bottom lip nervously. "I'm impressed. Do you have anymore work to do?" He shook his head.

"Tsunade hasn't given me anything in awhile," he whispered. Yumi walked toward the door and slowly opened it.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she told him one last time before disappearing.

Gaara sat beside his bed, staring at the white tiled floor with sadness. This counselor was a lot different than the other ones he had had in the past. She was more forgiving and understanding. So far, she hadn't forced him to do anything he didn't want to. She even made the medics leave him alone. The other counselors would have been against him and would've tried to coax him into taking the pills. Actually, that was what they had done. The psychiatrists were the worst though. The counselors tried to reason with him, but the psychiatrists weren't as good with that.

_"Why is she being so nice to me?" _he wondered. _"It won't be long now. She seems different from the others, but she'll break just like them. I want to believe she's not like all of them, but in reality, she's just like everyone else."_

Gaara didn't like to get his hopes up about anything. Every time he did, it always ended in tragedy. He was tired of having his heart broken. He didn't want to lose the little bit he had left. Every time he trusted someone, he ended up being disappointed and deceived. He didn't want to go through that anymore. Still, he just couldn't stop himself from having hope. He was human, whether some people believed it or not.

**XooooooooooooooooooX**

Yumi was sitting in her bed with the lamp on and her lower body under the covers. Her pillow was propped up against the headboard and she was leaning against it. In her lap was one of Gaara's workbooks and in her hand was a red pen. She didn't have an answer booklet, so she had read the book herself and relearned how to do some of the problems. It was 6th grade math, which was supposedly a level beneath what Gaara should be at. She felt rather stupid herself and couldn't believe that she had actually forgotten how to do some of those problems.

After about two hours, she had finished the first of the three workbooks. Yumi set the workbook on her nightstand and wriggled underneath her covers. She reached over and turned out the light before resting her head upon her pillow. Closing her eyes, she slowly drifted off to sleep where she was met by yet another dream of the blue-haired patient.

_**XxoooxX**_

_Yumi sat at the dining room table with a young blue-haired boy, watching him while he did his homework. The table was square and small. There were four chairs situated around it, although there were never more than two of them being used at one time. Touma told her that his mother never ate dinner with him, so he normally sat alone._

_"Do you have to stare at me like that?" he asked, giving her a weird look. Yumi blinked and shook her head._

_"Which homework are you doing?" she asked, looking at the paper he was working on. Touma covered it up and looked away with slight embarrassment. "What's wrong?"_

_"I don't like showing my work to people," he mumbled._

_"Why not? You know that it's all right if you're wrong, don't you?"_

_"It's not that!" he snapped. Yumi looked at him with surprise. Touma looked down at the ground with sadness._

_"I would be happy if I was wrong. I'm only in the eighth grade, but the math isn't challenging enough for me. They have me taking Honors Algebra with a bunch of high school kids. I'm rejected by kids in my grade and by the people in my Algebra class."_

_"Don't you have any friends you can hang out with?" Touma bit his bottom lip and shook his head._

_"I don't really consider them my friends anymore," he sighed. "They're too worried that I'll make them look bad because they're not as smart as I am. I don't really understand what that has to do with us being friends."_

_"I wouldn't try being friends with those types of people anyway," she told him softly._

_"My mom thinks there's something wrong with me because I don't hang out with anyone and I spend all my time locked up in my room. I wouldn't be up there all the time if I had a couple of friends." Yumi thought for a moment._

_"Are you happy with yourself?" Touma looked up at her with questioning eyes._

_"Me?" The brown-haired female smiled and nodded. _

_The room was relatively quiet. No one said anything and the only sound that could be heard was the one that the water filter from the fish tank in the hallway made. The blue-haired teen was staring off into space, deep in thought._

_"I don't know," he whispered shamefully. "I've never really thought about it."_

_"Well, maybe you should think about it. You're the one who is going to have to live with yourself for the rest of your life, so shouldn't you be happy with yourself?" Touma thought for a moment before nodding._

_"I guess that makes sense. Are you happy with yourself?" Yumi sighed, running her hand through her curly brown locks._

_"There are some things that I'm not proud of and would like to do over, but everyone has those feelings. I'm happy with myself for the most part though. I have a job that I love, I have a good friend, and I try my hardest on everything that I do." Touma smiled._

_"I hope that happens with me." Yumi grinned and chuckled softly._

_"I'm sure it will, Touma. Just be true to yourself, alright?" He nodded again and went back to doing his homework._

* * *

**_Well, what did you guys think? There will be a few more tidbits of Touma in future chapters as well._**

**_Thank you so much to all of those who reviewed! It really makes me happy and helps give me an extra boost of energy when writing. Thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Naomi-rox, Fire-Ember-Leigh, lyw, Gaara-frenzy, Fan, NeferNeferi, Yume Ninja, Raye1084, and AP-Rhapsody._**

**_A special thanks to NeferNeferi and Raye1084 for beta-ing._**

**_Please let me know what you all thought? The more reviews I get, the more tempted I am to post early. If I don't let my temptations get the best of me, look for the next chapter around Sunday._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!_**


	4. A Lost Sense of Time

Gaara sat in his dimly lit room, staring at the metal door in boredom. One of the things he hated about being stuck in his room was the boredom. He did have the three workbooks Tsunade had given him many months ago, but he finished those within the week of receiving them. Having nothing else to do after he had finished, he doodled in the back of the books and in the margins of the other pages. It didn't take long for one of the nurses to find his writing utensils and confiscate them. The graphite of the pencil was used all the way to the base of the pencil tip and the pen was running out of ink, so they weren't useful to him. He was upset about it anyway; mostly because of the lame excuse she had given him.

_"You can't have these in here without supervision,"_ she had said to him. _"If you were to try and hurt yourself, it would be my head."_

Gaara hated that nurse from then on, and she eventually quit. He couldn't believe that she had actually thought he would try to commit suicide and with a writing utensil! Gaara had thought about killing himself before, several times actually, but not with something like that. The red-head used to come up with ways that he could end his life, just to pass the time. The most effective way, or at least what he believed to be the most effective way, was to move his bed so that he could stand on it and reach the light socket. He wouldn't actually do it though, at least not any time soon. It was only a day dream; something to do.

The worst thing about being locked up, though, was having no sense of time. At first, it drove him crazy. There were no windows in his chamber, so he didn't know what time of day it was. There was no clock either and he didn't have a watch, or rather, he wasn't allowed to have one. The only way he could tell time was by relying on the staff. He would know when it was morning or night because a medic would knock on his door and tell him to either "Wake up" or "Turn out the lights and go to sleep." He could also tell because the nurses brought his meals around a certain time each day.

**XxooooxX**

Lunch had come and gone. Gaara was sitting on his bed, waiting impatiently for Yumi to show up. He didn't know why he was so anxious for her to come. The redhead tried to stop thinking about it, but there wasn't really anything else to think about. Thoughts just went in and out of his head and didn't seem to leave him at peace.

Gaara had tried to extinguish any thoughts about hope, and had also tried not to have any hopes of his own. He had been disappointed too many times and just couldn't take another blow. Still, there was a part of him that had a small amount of hope left. After all, he was still human. The redhead wanted to believe in the words Yumi had told him. A small part of him wanted to trust the female. He really didn't want to be alone and forgotten. That was the last thing he wanted.

The door finally opened and Yumi slipped in. Gaara watched as she set a black bag down on the floor by the door. He stared at her with blank eyes as she slowly walked toward him. She held something out to him and he stared at it with quizzical eyes. It took him a moment to realize that it was his workbook.

"I only had enough time to finish one," she told him softly. "You're very intelligent and I'm looking forward to looking over your other two workbooks." Gaara took it from her and set it down beside him.

"They didn't give me any pills today," he told her plainly.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Yumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I lost track of time." The brunette frowned, thinking to herself. She slowly sat down on the other end of the bed. Gaara watched as she did so, not taking his eyes off her. He still didn't trust her. For all he knew, she could be plotting something against him. It had only been about a week, so he still didn't really know what to expect from the stranger. All he had to compare her to were people who had tried to make his life as miserable as possible.

"Would you like me to get you another workbook, Gaara?" she asked. The boy looked at her with sad eyes.

"I'm not supposed to have stuff like that in here. The nurses will take it away."

"I'll make sure that they don't, but you have to promise to try and work with me. I'm not asking for you to trust me now, or even trust me at all. I just want you to keep an open mind, okay?" Gaara thought for a moment before nodding.

"Now, you said that you lost track of time?" The redhead nodded again. She undid the silver watch that was around her wrist and set it down on the bed next to him. Gaara looked at her with shock. "It's kind of girly, but at least you'll be able to keep track of the time. It's kind of special to me, so don't lose it. I'll trade you with another watch tomorrow, okay?"

"Why…why are you giving me this?" Yumi smirked.

"So you can keep track of time," she chuckled. "Can I trust you to take care of it until tomorrow?" Gaara slowly picked up the watch with his hand, looking at it with disbelief.

"It's special to you?" he stated questioningly. The brunette nodded.

"Another patient of mine picked it out for me," she told him, her voice sounding sad.

"Do you still see him?"

"No…he passed away two years ago." Gaara looked up at her, noticing the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's all right, Gaara," she told him, suddenly regaining her composure. "You didn't do anything." She slowly got up and smiled at him.

"What's your favorite color?"

"I like black and red."

"I like red too. Well, I'm going to let you be, but before I go, I brought something for you." She walked over to where she had left her bag and pulled out a spiral notebook and a couple of pens and pencils. The brunette came back over to Gaara and handed him the items.

"I figured that you were probably bored. You can do what you want with it, although I do ask that you write an entry about yourself. I want to know more about you, even if it's just a little bit." Gaara nodded slightly, running his hand over the smooth, black journal cover. "Also, I want you to write about anything that you don't feel comfortable talking to me about. This gives you a way to express your feelings without having to actually tell anyone."

"But you could still read it." Yumi shook her head.

"I won't read any of it unless you give me permission to."

The redhead was feeling overwhelmed. No one had ever done this much for him. Actually, they'd done the opposite. They'd taken away just about anything he had had and had even been in the process of taking away his sanity. If she was trying to gain his trust by giving him things, it wasn't going to be that easy.

**XxoooxX**

Yumi eventually left and Gaara was alone once again. There had been this feeling when she'd been there, a feeling of relief. He really didn't know how to explain it. It was the type of sensation that made someone feel good. It made him feel less empty inside.

Although Gaara didn't say anything out loud, he really did enjoy the company that Yumi provided. It was almost a reprieve when she came. She drove away all the feelings of isolation, but they came back again when she left. He sometimes wished that she wouldn't have to leave. If she didn't leave, then he wouldn't feel alone anymore.

**XxoooxX**

The next day, Yumi came again around 2:30. Like she had told him the day before, she brought with her a new workbook. She had also brought back his other two and a new wristwatch. Gaara really liked the timepiece. It had a deep red leather strap and the metal around the glass of the watch was a polished black color. He had kept her watch safe from harm, leaving it on his pillow all night.

"Didn't you need your pillow, Gaara?" the brunette asked in curiosity. The young boy shook his head.

"I don't sleep," he murmured.

_"He has insomnia?"_ she wondered. _"I guess that would explain those rings around his eyes."_

"Why don't you sleep, Gaara?"

"I can't." The older woman sighed in slight frustration.

"I know you can't. I mean, is there a reason? Is something worrying you? Are you not tired? Why can't you sleep?" The boy thought a moment, trying to think of an answer.

"I don't know," he lied. Gaara knew why he didn't sleep. He didn't want to tell her, since he still didn't completely trust her. Yumi could see that he wasn't telling her the truth, but she didn't want to press him on the matter. It was going to take more time before he opened up to her. To him, she was still an outsider that couldn't be completely trusted.

"Gaara, if you don't want to talk about it, just say so. I don't want you to lie to me, okay?" The redhead looked down at the ground with shame. His sea-green eyes pierced through the white tiled floor. "I won't lie to you, so I don't want you to lie to me. At this point, I'm not going to make you talk about anything that you don't want to. However, we're going to need to start making some progress soon."

"What happens if we don't?" Gaara asked curiously. Yumi thought for a moment.

"Then they'll probably end up replacing me," she told him sadly. Once again, she immediately perked up again. "You don't need to worry about that though. I already told Tsunade that it was going to take time."

"So you are just like all the others," Gaara whispered.

"I didn't say that I was going to quit. Quitting hasn't even crossed my mind as an option. Try to believe me when I say that I'm not going to quit on you." The redhead slowly nodded.

"Okay," he sighed. She smiled and thanked him.

* * *

**_Here's yet another chapter. You guys have no idea how excited I am about this story._**

**_Thank you guys so much for the reviews! You are all amazing! Thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_LadyAmazon, Naibu Kihaku (Fan), NeferNeferi, Naomi-rox, Gaara-frenzy, Sorami-san, and Yume Ninja._**

**_A special thanks to NeferNeferi and Raye1084 for all their help._**

**_You guys are awesome. Like I said, the more reviews I get, the more likely I am to post early. I am very bad about controling some of my impulses, posting chapters after getting a bunch of reviews is one of them._**

**_Look for the next chapter around Wednesday._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! It would mean the world to me and I'll be sure to post earlier._**


	5. Prevention

Two more weeks had passed and Gaara was slowly getting used to having Yumi visit him. Her visits were gradually getting longer. In the beginning, they had only lasted for 10-15 minutes. Now they were starting to last for about a half hour. On top of that, Gaara was beginning to talk to her a bit more.

**XxoooxX**

Gaara was sitting on his bed, drawing in the sketchbook Yumi had given him. He would've just drawn in the journal, but she only wanted him to write in it.

"What are you drawing?" the brunette asked, sitting down at the end of the bed. Gaara didn't like her being too close and wouldn't let her touch him. Yumi wasn't surprised by this and respected his space. She knew that it was going to take some time.

"A picture," the redhead replied smugly. Yumi rolled her eyes at him and chuckled.

"I figured as much." She watched as his hand glided across the paper, making smooth motions with each stroke. As his hand moved, the brunette noticed something on the boy's wrist. She hadn't really paid much attention to his hands, so this was the first time she had seen it.

"Gaara, what's on your wrist?" The pre-teen stopped drawing and looked down at the silver band that adorned his wrist. He slowly hid it from her, ashamed that she'd noticed it.

"It's nothing," he muttered, placing his wrist beneath the sketchbook. Yumi frowned and looked at him with concern. He had turned his head away from her, something he did when he was ashamed or upset. It didn't take her long to start being able to read his body language.

"Gaara…" The redhead hesitantly looked up at her with sad eyes. "Please tell me." Gaara looked into her pleading eyes, feeling something unfamiliar wash over him. He chewed on his bottom lip and ran his fingertips over the metal band on one of his wrists.

_"It wouldn't hurt to tell her,"_ Gaara thought silently to himself.

Hesitant at first, he set the sketchbook off to the side and scooted a little closer to the woman. He shut his eyes and slowly held his arms out towards Yumi. The brunette looked at him in slight shock. He was actually putting some trust into her. Gaara turned his head away in discomfort as she gently touched his wrists, fingering the silver bracelets. Yumi was surprised that he was letting her touch him, but was ever more surprised by what she found on his wrists. Her eyes widened at the burn marks that were around the metal bands. She had him turn his wrists over, revealing more scars.

"What happened?!" she asked in shock. The pre-teen pulled his wrists away from her, hiding them in his lap. "What are those bracelets for, Gaara?"

"They keep me in my room and away from the other patients," he explained softly. "I got them when my third nurse disappeared."

"What do they do?" Gaara bit his bottom lip and rubbed his wrists as if they were in pain.

"If I get too close the door, I get shocked." Yumi's eyes widened with horror.

"That's horrible," she gasped. _"I don't even think that's legal!" _she thought to herself.

The redhead scooted further away from her, feeling ashamed with himself. The brunette felt the boy's pain. Seeing the bands around his wrists reminded her of when she was a child.

"When I was younger, my parents used to make me wear rubber bands around my wrists," Yumi stated plainly. Gaara looked up at her in slight curiosity. "I had a really nasty habit of biting my fingernails. It was so bad that half the time I wasn't even aware that I was biting them. Whenever they caught me biting them, they would snap one of the rubber bands that were on my wrist. On top of that, my younger brothers would just snap them for the fun of it."

"Were you the oldest?" Gaara asked. The brunette smiled and nodded.

"I was the shortest though, so I was still inferior to my brothers."

"I was the youngest," he sighed, "and the shortest."

The woman giggled. "That's not always so bad. I didn't like being the oldest. I remember always getting blamed for the things my brothers did because they supposedly learned it from me." Gaara smirked at her before looking over at his sketch book. He picked it back up and started drawing in it again.

"You can go if you want to," he said. Yumi nodded and slowly stood up.

"Think about what you want to talk about tomorrow," she told him as she walked toward the door. "I'll see you then." Gaara nodded, but didn't take his eyes off of his drawing.

_**XxoooxX**_

_**Yumi's Dream**_

_**XxoooxX**_

_Yumi stared at her blue-haired patient as he held some tissues to his bloody nose._

_"What happened, Touma?" she finally asked. The boy looked up at her, still holding the tissues up against his face._

_"I answered too many questions right," he sighed. "At least, that's the excuse they give me." The brunette frowned, looking at him with concern._

_"Why do you put up with that?"_

_"Because it would be even worse if I were to rat the person out. I'll be fine."_

_"If you say so, but if this happens again, I'm saying something to the school. Does your mother know about this?" The blue-haired boy nodded._

_"She says that it's natural for boys my age to get into fist fights."_

_"Don't tell your mom that I said this, but that is just plain stupid!" Touma smirked and chuckled._

_"Don't worry. I won't tell her." Yumi smiled and thanked him. "Tell me, have you ever gotten into a fight?" The brunette laughed._

_"Only once, and I was sticking up for my little brother. That doesn't mean that fighting is okay though." Touma laughed._

_"It's kind of hard to imagine you throwing a punch." Yumi rolled her eyes at him and giggled._

_"Alright, you don't have to be mean about it. That was a long time ago and I was very different back then."_

_"I'm sorry," he apologized. The brunette nodded._

_"Don't worry about it Touma. I love seeing you smile." The boy rolled his eyes back at her, still smiling._

* * *

**_Oh yeah! Another chapter completed! I feel so happy. I really love writing this story, and I will definitely finish it. _**

**_Okay, thanks to the following people who reviewed:_**

**_Gaara-frenzy, Kitsune Slave, AP-Rhapsody, Me and Gaara 4ever, and Sorami-san._**

**_You guys ROCK!_**

**_A special thanks to NeferNeferi and Raye1084 for beta-ing for me. Both are on vacation at the moment and I can't wait until they get back!_**

**_Let me give you guys an idea of where I am in this story. I have typed up 12 chapters and am currently typing up chapter 13. Everything up to chapter 11 has been beta-ed. I also have two endings in mind, although I'm not quite there yet. Still, it goes to show that I intend to finish this story. Even though I am far ahead, the reviews that I receive help keep going, especially when I get to places that that cause me to get a little stuck._**

**_I will be posting the next chapter around Sunday, July 6th. I might post earlier, depending on how many reviews I get, but I won't post any later than Sunday._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	6. Pictures

Another week passed by rather smoothly. Everyone from the hospital staff seemed to be in a great deal of shock about how long she had been staying there. They just couldn't seem to believe that Gaara hadn't done anything to drive the female away yet.

Yumi sat down next to Gaara like she did everyday. The redhead watched her as she opened up a manila folder and pulled out a couple pictures that had been printed out onto computer paper. She held them against her chest so that he couldn't see them, causing the redhead's curiosity to be aroused. The brunette smirked at his reaction, glad that she had his attention.

"I'm going to show you some pictures of people who you might have seen before," she told him. "You're going to know some of these people more than others. I want you to tell me the person's name and then I'll ask you a few questions about that person. Will you do this with me?" Gaara looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back up at her and nodding.

Yumi showed him the first picture, causing the boy to glare at it with disgust. The picture was of a man with dark brown, bushy hair. He looked like Gaara, only much older and his skin wasn't as pale.

"That's my father," he told her, keeping his voice low.

"What are your feelings towards him?" Gaara reached forward, snatching the picture from her hands and tearing it in half.

"I hate him," he muttered, tearing the picture up even more and throwing the shreds at the female. "I never want to see his face again." Yumi looked at him with surprise. She wasn't really expecting him to do something like that, but at least he got his point across.

Sighing, she showed him another picture. This picture was of a woman with sandy brown, almost blonde hair that went down to her shoulders. Gaara looked away from it with sadness in his eyes.

"My mother, and my uncle's sister," he told her sadly. Yumi pulled out another picture and showed it to him.

"Is this the uncle you were talking about?" Gaara looked up for a moment and nodded before looking back down.

"My mother died giving birth to me, but I still hate her." The brunette gave him a weird look. The pre-teen saw her out of the corner of his eye and sighed. "She never wanted to have me and she named me out of hatred. As for my uncle, he's a backstabbing bastard." The counselor looked at the redhead with sad eyes. A weak smile spread across her lips as she held out the pictures.

"You can crumble them up if it makes you feel any better," she offered. Gaara looked up at her with a smirk and snatched the picture of his uncle from her hand, crumbling it up and throwing it back at Yumi. She laughed and held out the other picture.

"Keep it," he told her. "I don't hate her the same way that I hate them." The brunette nodded in understanding and slipped the picture back into the manila folder. Next, she held up a picture of a young woman in a white nurse's uniform. She had long black hair and chocolate brown eyes. Once again, Gaara's eyes saddened.

"She was my first nurse." The redhead slowly brought his legs to his chest. "She was the nicest one that I've had."

"What happened to her?" Gaara squeeze his legs to his chest even tighter. "Never mind, you don't have to answer that." The young patient shook his head.

"She was found dead in the janitor closet next door. One of the medics dragged me out of my room and made me look at her. He blamed me for it."

"You didn't do it, did you?" Gaara shook his head.

"I never touched her," he sighed.

"What about these two?" The redhead looked up as she held up two more pictures of his previous nurses.

"They just suddenly stopped showing up. That's all I know."

"Okay, I believe you. How did you feel about them?"

"The second nurse was alright, but she was scared of everything. The third one was a bitch."

"That's not very nice." Gaara shrugged, not really caring. Yumi sighed, knowing that there was nothing else she could really say about that matter. "Are you feeling up for two more? These will be the last, I promise." Gaara sighed and nodded. She held up picture of a girl who had her blonde hair pulled back into four pony-tails. Beside that picture, she held up a picture of a boy with purple paint decorating his face. Yumi could see tears begin to form in Gaara's eyes.

"Temari and Kankurou," he whimpered, burying his face into his legs.

"Do you want to be alone Gaara?" she asked, knowing that he usually did that when he wanted privacy. The pre-teen shook his head.

"I'm not finished. Just give me a minute." Yumi listened to him take in several deep breaths and then slowly release them. Hesitant at first, he raised his head and looked at the pictures again.

"Did your siblings fight a lot?" he asked her. The brunette smirked and nodded. The redhead smiled weakly at her answer. "Temari and Kankurou did too. There was hardly ever a moment of quiet in the house."

"I know what that's like."

"Temari always played this annoying boy band music. I don't even think she liked it. She just knew that it aggravated my brother and me. Kankurou liked heavy metal, so they would both turn their stereo up to top volume. I was always stuck in the middle."

"That happens sometimes." Gaara nodded and looked down at his watch.

"I kept you here late," he mumbled. Yumi shook her head.

"That's alright. Are you finished now?"

"I guess so. Can I keep the pictures of my siblings?" The brunette smiled and handed the two pieces of paper to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow Gaara."

Once the older woman had left, Gaara let himself go. His breathing became short and uneven. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his fingers ran across the papers. He was careful about not getting the pictures wet with the salty droplets.

"What happened to you two?" he asked no one. "Why did you have to leave me alone in this place?"

Unknown to the redhead, Yumi was standing outside his door. She knew that she was invading his privacy, but she needed to know how he really acted. He wouldn't be asking those questions if he had committed the murders. Most people had a reason for killing, but Gaara hadn't. She wouldn't mention any of this to Gaara, because she didn't want to lose any of the trust she had earned. On top of that, she didn't want to upset her patient any more than she already had.

_**XxoooooooooxX**_

_"Who was this, Touma?" the brunette asked her client. Yumi was with Touma in his room. She had found a picture of the blue-haired boy on his nightstand. The boy was standing with two other people, one of them being his mother. The other person had been scratched out with a permanent marker._

_"My father," he answered plainly. Yumi gave him a weird look._

_"Why did you color him out?" Touma sighed in aggravation and sat down on his bed._

_"I hate him. He left my mother and me a couple of years ago. He didn't really say much of anything. He just packed up his things and left, leaving me alone with my psycho mother. I haven't spoken to him ever since."_

_"I'm sorry," she apologized. Touma shook his head._

_"You didn't do anything, so you don't need to apologize."_

_"I know. I just feel bad for you. I remember what it was like to be a teenager. It was no fun at all." Touma smiled and laughed._

_"That's what all the old people say," he chuckled. Yumi furrowed her brow at him._

_"I'm not that old," she told him._

_Touma shrugged. "Whatever."_

* * *

**_Yay! Another chapter up and ready for viewing. Woot!! What did you guys think? Please let me know!_**

**_My reviewers are so AMAZING! You have no idea how happy I was when I read your reviews. What made me even happier was that the mass majority were rather somewhat lengthy! I love it when I get reviews that say something other than "Good chapter! Update soon." I like it when there is a bit more to it than that._**

**_A special thanks to my reviewers:_**

**_Gaara-frenzy, Me and Gaara 4ever, Naibu Kihaku, Sorami-san, Kitsune Slave, and NeferNeferi._**

**_Please keep up the reviews, and I promise to keep the chapters coming._**

**_Thanks to NeferNeferi for beta-reading this chapter._**

**_Look for the next chapter around Thursday._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	7. Sunday

A couple months went by and Gaara was slowly putting more and more trust into the woman. There were still some things that he wasn't ready to talk about, so Yumi didn't even bother bringing them up. She knew that it would only cause him to become more reserved, at least for that session. Most of the medical staff said that she wasn't really doing anything, but that wasn't the case at all. Yumi was making progress at a rate faster than she what she had initially thought it would take.

The two of them were sitting down in the middle of the floor on either side of a checker board. Yumi was staring at it, concentrating hard on what her next move was going to be. Gaara was staring off into space, a look of complete boredom painted on his face.

Finally, the brunette made her move, causing the redhead to smirk.

"You really stink at this game," he muttered. Yumi sighed and nodded.

"I'm not much of a checkers person." Gaara picked up a red piece and made a triple jump.

"I think you should just give up. There's no way you can beat me now."

"Alright, I give up. You win." Gaara sighed and flicked one of the checker pieces off the board, sending it flying through the air at Yumi. The piece hit her in the arm before falling to the ground with a _clink_.

"That's not very nice, Gaara," she told him. The boy shrugged and started to pick the checker pieces up.

"Tomorrow's Sunday," he stated dryly. Yumi sighed and nodded. "I won't see you then."

"I'll be seeing you on Monday," she told him, trying to get him to cheer up.

"What do you do on Sundays?" The brunette looked down at the ground with sad eyes. Gaara stared at her with curiosity.

"It's kind of private, Gaara. I'll tell you some other time, but not today." The pre-teen could tell that it was something that was bothering her. He wanted to know, but he didn't want to intrude. She didn't make him talk about anything he didn't want to talk about, so he wasn't going to make her either. If he did, that gave her a reason to use that against him and make him talk about something he didn't want to.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's something upsetting, isn't it?" Yumi smiled weakly at him and nodded.

"It's okay Gaara," she assured him. "I was expecting you to ask that question sooner or later. Like I said before, I'll probably tell you one day, but you have to keep on being cooperative." Yumi looked down at her watch and sighed. "I have to be going." Gaara nodded.

"Before you go, can I ask you another question?" The brunette looked at him with curiosity.

"Of course you can Gaara." The boy slowly drew his knees to his chest.

"What do you think of me?" The redhead looked down at the ground with slight embarrassment.

"Well…," Yumi paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words to use. "That is such a hard question. I care about you so much and I really hate seeing you in here. You're extremely intelligent and that you have good intentions. I can't imagine you wanting to intentionally hurt someone. There are so many things that I like about you Gaara. Does that answer your question?" Gaara nodded slightly.

"Thank you Yumi," Gaara whispered. The brunette smiled and nodded.

"I'll see you Monday."

_**XxooooooooxX**_

_Yumi and Touma were walking together through the park. The blue-haired boy needed fresh air, since he had locked himself up in his room all day long. The weather was perfect. It was nice and sunny, but not too hot. There was a gentle breeze, causing the weather to be pleasant and cool._

_"What are you thinking about?" Yumi asked curiously. Touma gave her a weird look._

_"How do you know I'm even thinking about anything?" The brunette smiled and giggled._

_"You looked like you were lost in thought." The teen sighed and kicked an acorn that was lying on the sidewalk, sending it rolling further down the pavement._

_"What do you think about me?" he asked, kicking another acorn. Yumi smiled._

_"I think you're a wonderful person, very smart and bright. You're someone that someone should be proud of."_

_"Really?" The boy looked up at her questioningly and she nodded._

_"I also think that someday you are going to win the Nobel Prize for Science." Touma grinned and laughed._

_"Maybe someday," he chuckled._

_"So what do you think about me now? Did your thoughts change at all?" The teen thought for a moment before nodding._

_"You're alright I guess," he told her with a smirk. Yumi rolled her eyes at him._

_"Thanks a lot, Touma," she said, a dab of sarcasm in her tone._

_"I'm glad that my mom hired you though." The brunette smiled and nodded._

_"Me too."_

_**XxooooooooooooxX**_

It was Sunday morning and the sun was still hiding behind rain clouds. For some reason, it always seemed to be raining on Sundays. Yumi hated it. She wished that the sun would shine, hoping that it would make her feel better. Sunday was always a gloomy day for the brunette, which was one of the reasons she didn't go to see Gaara on that particular day of the week.

Yumi crawled out of bed and looked out her bedroom window. Rain was falling from the heavens at a steady pace and showering all the objects below with water. There used to be a time where Yumi loved the rainfall. She used to love the way it felt on her skin, the way it looked as it fell to the earth. She had especially loved the way it sounded when it rapped against her windowpane and on the roof. In the past, she would have sat by the window and watched it for hours on end. Not anymore though.

The female sluggishly clothed herself, putting on a pair of slacks, a light pink camisole, and a white button-down top. She did her best to run a brush through her curly locks, trying to get all the knots and tangles out. Lastly, she brushed her teeth and left.

She drove to church and sat silently through the sermon. After the service, she talked with a few of her acquaintances. Yumi didn't really call them her friends, since the only time she saw them was at church. Her work took up most of her time, and she just didn't bother to become close to any of them. All of her friends were still back in her hometown. They all stayed behind, not wanting to leave the place that they grew up in. Yumi had moved on, but she still kept in contact with them and planned to visit them again really soon.

After talking with other members of the church, she drove to the flower shop and then took a trip to the cemetery. The brown-haired woman looked down at the tombstone of a young boy with sad eyes and smiled weakly. Slowly, she bent over and placed the flowers in front of it. Very few people ever came to visit the grave, and Yumi was one of them. The boy's mother was ashamed of her son and had always believed that there was something wrong with him. If only that woman knew how wonderful her child really had been. He had had a brilliant mind and could've really made something of himself. Still, his life was ended early and unnaturally.

"I'm so sorry, Touma," she whispered. "I tried so hard and I still couldn't save you. I know you don't want me to blame myself, but I just can't help it."

Yumi inhaled deeply and slowly let it out. She was soaked to the bone from the rain that was pelting against her body. Her body was starting to tremble as the cold water consumed any warmth it had left. She took in another deep breath and sighed, smiling as she did so.

"I have another patient," she spoke to the tombstone. "He's a lot different from you, but then again he's just like you. I want to help him; save him, the way I wanted to save you. I'm going to do all that I can to make that happen. If you were still here, and if Gaara wasn't stuck where he is now, I'm sure that the two of you could've been friends."

* * *

**_Yay! Another chapter!! Hmm... what did you guys think about how she spends her Sundays? That leaves one question answered, but it looks like there's still a few more that need to be answered._**

**_I'll post the next chapter on Tuesday, or late Monday night._**

**_Thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Gaara-frenzy, ALIsmile, Sakamoto Michiko, Kitsune Slave, Yume Ninja, AP-Rhapsody, and NeferNeferi._**

**_You guys rock out loud. You have no idea how much I appreciate the time you put into your reviews. Almost every single one of them were pretty lengthy, and I really appreciate it. Please keep it up. It helps me to keep writing and making the chapters as good as I can. Also, I like hearing your opinions on things, good or bad. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS A MILLION!!_**


	8. Journal and Sickness

Gaara looked up at the door as Yumi quickly slipped inside. He narrowed his eyes at her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're late," he stated coldly. Yumi slowly approached him and apologized. The redhead noticed that her skin was paler than usual.

"I'm feeling under the weather today," she sniffled, bringing a tissue to her nose. "I had trouble getting out of bed this morning and getting started. I'm here now." Gaara sighed and shook his head.

"Go home," he grumbled. Yumi looked at the redhead with sad eyes. "If you're sick, then you should be home resting."

"Are you sure, Gaara? Was there anything you wanted to talk about?" The pre-teen held out the black journal that she had given him months ago.

"Go home and read this," he told her, looking down at the ground with nervousness. "We'll talk when you're better and after you've read it." Yumi took the journal from him and looked at Gaara with slight concern.

"Okay. If that's what you want." The redhead nodded and turned away from her.

"Just go, before I change my mind and take my journal back." Yumi smiled and nodded.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." She slowly turned and left.

Gaara sat on his bed, clenching his fist together, his body shaking slightly with frustration and fear. The journal he had given her was filled with his thoughts, some of his fears, and the things that Yumi had been trying to get out of him. He brought his fist to his mouth and bit down on the whites of his knuckles.

The pre-teen's heart felt as if it was about to burst. He had wanted to be there when the brunette read the journal. The main reason he had wanted to be there was so that he could see Yumi's reactions. He was afraid of what she would think of him. Would she hate him after reading his thoughts? Would she be afraid of him? Would she even show up the next day?

_**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**_

_Yumi gave me this journal today, but I'm not too sure why. She told me to write a little bit about myself, which is easier said than done. Where do I even begin?_

_One could say that my family was unstable. My mother died giving birth to me. Yashamaru, my uncle, told me that she named me out of hatred. Apparently, she had never wanted to have me in the first place. That's probably another reason my father had always called me a mistake._

_My siblings didn't really hate me. For some reason, they had always stood up for me. They actually cared about me, at least to a certain degree. I was usually left alone, but if anything would've happened to me, they would have done something about it._

_I had trouble fitting in at school, although I'm not sure why. The other kids just stayed away from me. It got really bad after the incident I had with my uncle. Everyone called me a monster and a murderer. They didn't even know the full story. No one took into account that he had tried to kill me first. I never meant to kill him; I only meant to protect myself._

_It doesn't end there. Two years ago, my siblings were murdered and the blame was placed on me. I don't really like thinking about it. For the most part, I don't even remember what happened. That and I don't want to remember what happened. It hurts when I start thinking about stuff like that. Still, there are some things from that night that I remember very clearly. For instance, I know that I was found on the crime scene and was covered in my siblings' blood. Some people said that I had the murder weapon in my hand, but I know that I didn't. I remember being found in the kitchen lying in a giant puddle of blood. There was nothing in my hands and I was on the verge of unconsciousness. The main reason they put that I had the murder weapon in my hand was because it was easy just to blame it on me and put the case away. As long as they don't have to deal with it, they could care less what happens. Also, the weapon was very close to me, but I hadn't touched it._

_This is all I really feel like saying about myself right now._

_**XxooooxX**_

_Yumi came again today and talked with me. She got me a watch, like she said she would._

_I don't understand. Why is she doing all of this for me? Why does she care?_

_I don't like hoping for things but I can't help it. No matter how hard I try, there is still a part of me that is still hopeful. I want Yumi to keep visiting me, but I won't use the word "hope". As soon as I do, she'll suddenly stop showing up. _

_Yumi asked why I don't sleep. I told her that I didn't know, but she knew that I was lying. She didn't press me on it though. The reason I don't sleep is because I can't have nightmares if I'm awake. _

_If I don't start opening up more, Yumi might not come anymore. The whole reason she's here is to try and cure me from some fake illness. I don't want her to leave, but I don't really want to spill my guts out either. What do I do?_

_**XxooooxX**_

Yumi sighed in slight sadness. She hadn't meant to scare him or upset him. It was only meant to be a gentle reminder, but Gaara didn't seem to take it that way.

The brunette couldn't believe how much inner-turmoil her red-haired patient was going through. There had to be something she could do to help him.

"This was almost 4 months ago," she sighed, smiling to herself. "He has come such a long way since then."

Yumi sneezed into her tissue and blew her nose. She looked up at the clock and sighed at how late it was. "I should be getting to bed; otherwise I'm not going to be able to get out of it." The brunette set Gaara's notebook off to the side and turned off the lamp.

**XxooooxX**

Yumi groaned as her alarm clock went off. She reached over and attempted to hit the snooze button. It took her a couple of tries, but she eventually succeeded in shutting the stupid thing off. The brunette slowly sat up while gently massaging her temples. Her head felt horrible. It was almost like she had been hit in the head with a pillowcase full of bricks.

Doing her best to ignore any pain, she crawled out of bed. She stood there for a couple of moments, trying to get over her dizziness. Once her head stopped spinning, she slowly made her way to the bathroom. As soon as she was a few feet from it, she felt nauseous. She darted for the toilet and emptied her stomach of its contents. When she finished, she flushed the toilet and got to her feet. Yumi turned on the cold water and took a small sip before spitting it back out.

"I can't go in like this," she whispered to herself. "I wouldn't want Gaara to catch whatever I have. It wouldn't be fair to him."

The sick brunette sluggishly made her way to the kitchen and picked up the phone. She punched in the numbers to her work and waited for her boss to pick the phone up. The woman sighed in frustration when she got the machine.

"Tsunade, this is Yumi. I'm sick so I won't be able to come to work today. It is very important that you let Gaara know why I couldn't show up. If you don't, he might think that I just blew him off and that could end badly. I'm going to do my best to come in tomorrow. Sorry for any trouble I may have caused."

Yumi hung the phone up and moped back to her room. She collapsed onto her bed, shivering slightly as a chill went through her body.

"I hope Gaara is alright," she whispered. Yumi felt kind of guilty about not seeing him that day, but she would've felt even guiltier if he got sick because of her. She would definitely be there the next day and she could apologize to him in person.

_**XxoooooooXX**_

_Touma looked at the green notebook with disgust. He then looked back up at Yumi and narrowed his eyes at her._

_"I hate writing," he grumbled. "Why do I have to do this?"_

_"We only have a session once a week, so I want you to have a way to vent any feelings you have. This also gives you a way to remember what you want to talk about during our next meeting."_

_"Do I have to?"_

_The brunette sighed. "If you don't want to, I guess I'm not going to force you to, though it would be nice if you did."_

_Touma looked back down at the journal. "I'll think about it, but I'm not guaranteeing anything."_

_"That's fine."_

_The blue-haired boy looked down at the ground, immersed in his thoughts. "Hey Yumi…" The brunette looked up at him with questioning eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that they wished you would just disappear?"_

_Yumi's eyes widened with surprise. "Did someone say that to you?!" she asked in shock._

_Touma narrowed his eyes at her. "You have to answer my question first."_

_"No, no one has said that to me. Please answer my question. Did someone say that to you, Touma?" The teen shifted around uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, he nodded. "Who?"_

_Touma hesitated for a moment. "My mother," he admitted sadly. "She said that I remind her of father." Yumi placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, but he quickly shrugged it off. "I don't need your sympathy."_

_"I'm sorry. Sometimes I just can't help it."_

_"It's all right. You're just trying to help."_

* * *

**_Another chapter! Yay!!_**

**_Oh my goodness! You guys are amazing! Thanks to the following reviewers!!_**

**_Kitsune Slave, Sakamoto Michiko, Gaara-frenzy, AddictedtoBleach, kitkat kezia, Dynasty Artemis, NeferNeferi, Yume Ninja, slack-jawed cheese hugger, and Cuzisme._**

**_YOU GUYS ROCK! You have know idea how happy you all made me. I wasn't going to post until tomorrow, but I felt like I couldn't really wait that long. I probably would've posted it earlier too, if I hadn't been so suddenly busy. Anyway, thanks a billion. A special-special thanks for those of you who put more time and effort into it. It really means a lot to me. I know I say this every time, but it really does, so I can't say it enough. _**

**_Look for the next chapter this weekend. I was originally planning to post it on Sunday, but if I get as many reviews, especially the longer ones, as last time, I'll probably post it on Friday._**

**_Thanks again!!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	9. The Nightmare

_One of the nurses was in a good mood today, which meant that she was nicer than usual. She even tried talking to me about her day, which made me think that she was pretty desperate if she needed to talk to someone that badly. Eventually, she found out that I wasn't even listening and started scolding me. I ended up snapping back at her and hurt her feelings._

_When Yumi found out, I thought she was going to scold me or something. Instead, she said that it wasn't my entire fault. I'm so used to everyone putting the blame on me, but it's nice not being the scapegoat for once._

_Yumi got me a sketchbook, since she doesn't want me to draw in the journal. It's a little late for that, since I already drew about ten pictures in here. I can't help it if I'm bored and don't like writing. _

_**XxooooooooxX**_

_I told Yumi about my shock bracelets today. She finally noticed them today while I was drawing. At first, I didn't want to tell her. I don't like people knowing about them, because some people just like to make me feel pain. There was this one medic that had a really short temper and shoved me into the door once. I ended up passing out because of the pain and my wrists were sore for the whole week. He ended up getting fired because Tsunade ended finding out._

_Once I told Yumi, I was glad that she just left it at that. I don't like being pressed for information. There are times when Yumi pries stuff out of me, but she does it differently, so I don't mind it as much._

_**XxooooooooxX**_

_Yumi sucks at playing checkers. We've played several times before, and she loses every time. She's really good at playing cards though. I've only one a couple times against her playing speed. That was probably because she let me win though._

_Yumi also showed me some pictures of people I knew. I ended up tearing up my father's picture and crumbling up my uncle's picture. They're both bastards and I hate them both more than anything in the world. On another note, she also showed me pictures of my siblings. Yumi ended up letting me keep them, and she even brought in the folder for me to put them in. The pictures brought back some good memories and a few bad ones as well. Still, I hadn't seen any pictures of them since I had been admitted, so it was kind of nice I guess._

_**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**_

Gaara waited for the female the next day. His entire body was engulfed with nervousness and heartache. The pain steadily increased as the hours went by and she still didn't show up. He lost hope when six o'clock rolled around and she still hadn't appeared.

The pre-teen felt stupid and betrayed.

"Why did I give it to her?" he angrily asked himself. "I should've known that she wouldn't have been able to understand." The redhead clenched his hands into fists, frustrated with everything. He bit down on his bottom lip to keep himself from crying.

His head immediately shot up at the sound of his door opening. He was disappointed again when he saw that it was only Tsunade. She was probably there to tell him that Yumi had quit.

"I'm sorry about not getting to you earlier," she apologized. "I was fairly busy with the other patients. Anyway, Yumi called in earlier today to say that she was too sick to come in. She sounded pretty bad to me and wanted me to tell you, but I had my hands tied with other matters. Yumi is going to try and come tomorrow though." Gaara slowly nodded and the blonde haired woman turned and left him alone.

The redhead slowly brought his knees to his chest, feeling slightly guilty about not having more faith in Yumi. He was so quick to classify her as a traitor. He didn't even think that she could still be sick.

_"Why am I torturing myself like this?"_ he wondered.

**XxoooxX**

It was somewhere around one o'clock and Gaara was feeling anxious again about Yumi's visit. He hoped that she was feeling better.

The redhead sat in front of the wash-basin with his shirt off and a towel lying on the ground beside him. He stuck his head beneath the faucet, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair with the warm water. His fingers worked through his red locks, getting the rest of the soap out.

While he was bathing himself, he couldn't help but think about what had happened the previous evening. Thinking about it made him feel sick, but he just couldn't get it out of his head. He wasn't even sure about everything that had happened. It was all a blur.

He remembered that the nurse came in and she had a cut on her arm. It was bandaged, but the blood had soaked through the layers. Gaara remembered feeling a sharp pain in his head. After that, he lost control and apparently tried to attack his nurse. He honestly couldn't remember what he had done, which frustrated him even more.

Just as he turned off the water, his door opened. Gaara jerked his head in the direction of the visitor and his eyes widened at the sight of Yumi.

"You're early," he stated coldly, doing his best to hide his uneasiness. The pre-teen grabbed his towel off the floor and quickly dried his hair. Yumi handed him his shirt when he finished and he quickly put it on.

"I missed yesterday's session, so I thought I would come a bit earlier today. That's alright with you, isn't it?" The redhead nodded as he got up and walked over to sit on his bed. He looked up at the brunette, the black journal in her hands grabbing his attention.

"Did you read it?" Gaara asked, gesturing toward the notebook. Yumi frowned and nodded.

"We have a lot to talk about, but I need to address something else first." The pre-teen shrank back, knowing what the female was talking about. "What happened yesterday, Gaara?" The redhead looked down at the ground with shame in his eyes. He clutched onto the edge of the bed as if he were trying to overcome extreme pain.

"I hurt someone," Gaara whimpered. "She was bleeding."

"Can you explain what happens to you when you see blood?" Gaara looked up at her with fear in his eyes. His body began to tremble involuntarily and he couldn't stop it.

"I-I don't know. I lose control of myself and I hurt people. Afterwards, I don't even remember what I did." Yumi was silent, lost in her thoughts. Gaara looked up at her, worried about what she thought about him.

"That's something we're going to need to look at," she thought out loud. The brunette looked down at Gaara, seeing the worried expression on his face. "What's wrong?" The pre-teen shook his head.

"I won't do it. I don't want to hurt anyone else." Yumi frowned at him and knelt down in front of him. She looked him directly in the eyes and Gaara did the same with her.

"I understand that Gaara, but it is important that we learn about this. I'll do whatever you want to make sure you don't hurt anyone, but we can't just let this go. We might be able to stop this from happening altogether, but in order to do that, I have to see what happens." Gaara stared into her eyes, his body still trembling uncontrollably.

"You want to do it now?" he whispered questioningly. Yumi shook her head.

"Not now. I have to run it by Tsunade first, and you don't need to go through something like that two days in a row." Gaara nodded, still staring into her eyes.

Yumi scooted back a little bit and sat down on the floor in front of him.

"I want to talk about why you don't sleep," she told him. The redhead finally broke eye contact, averting his eyes to the white tiled floor. His shaking had finally subsided.

"What about it?"

"Why don't you sleep? Are you having trouble falling asleep, or will you not sleep for another reason?" Gaara slowly brought one of his knees to his chest, hugging it tightly against him.

"I stopped sleeping after I started having these nightmares," he whispered, his body starting to tremble again.

"Tell me about the nightmares." Gaara took in a deep breath and began to explain.

"I'd be coming home from somewhere and the house would be silent, but in an eerie kind of way. There would be this thick stench of blood coming from the kitchen and it would be glowing this red color." The pre-teen paused for a moment before continuing. His body seemed to be shaking even more violently. "I go into the kitchen… I find my siblings lying on the floor in a big puddle of blood. My legs give out and I fall into it." Gaara paused again, his face paling. Yumi watched as a tear trickled down his cheek.

"T-Temari… She was still alive. B-Blood… I-It came out of her mouth a-as she tried to talk to me. I-I tried to get up… b-but I couldn't move. I had to watch her slowly die and I couldn't do anything to help her." Gaara stopped and tears streamed down his face.

Yumi got up and sat down beside him on the bed. She slowly wrapped an arm around his small frame and pulled him close. Gaara's body immediately stiffened from not being used to human contact. The brunette thought that he would pull away from her or push her away from him. Instead, he did something she wouldn't have expected him to do. He laid his head against her chest and let his body slowly relax in her arm. She smiled slightly and wrapped her other arm around him, enveloping him in a complete embrace.

The brunette looked down at him about five minutes later and was slightly surprised to find that he had fallen asleep. It seemed kind of strange, especially after he had just finished telling her about his nightmares. Smiling, she carefully laid his head down on the pillow. She slowly got up and lifted his legs onto the bed. The brunette unfolded the brown blanket that was at the end of his bed and covered him with it.

Yumi opened Gaara's notebook to an empty page and quickly wrote a note in it. _"You fell asleep and I just didn't have the heart to wake you. I'll see you tomorrow."_ Leaving it open on the floor, she silently left her patient in peace.

**XxoooxX**

Yumi showed up early again the next day and was surprised to find that her red-haired patient was still sleeping. A smile crept across her lips as she slowly approached him. She sat down on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. Gaara let out a deep sigh, moving slightly beneath his blanket.

The brunette giggled and continued to run her fingers through his red locks. The pre-teen's eyelids fluttered open and he stared up at her through sleepy eyes.

"Did you get a good night's sleep?" she asked him softly. The redhead rolled over onto his back and nodded. "Did you have any nightmares?"

"No," the pre-teen mumbled as he sat up.

"I'm happy to hear that." Gaara looked down at his watch and then back up at Yumi.

"You're early again." The brunette nodded.

"I left you while you were sleeping yesterday and I wanted to make sure that you were alright." The young patient threw off the blanket and brought his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Why do you put up with me?" Yumi sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Because I can't deal with the pain of failing one of my patients, and quitting is just not an option. I've failed one client in the past, and I still can't forgive myself for it. There's no way that I'm going to do it again." She looked back at Gaara and smiled sweetly at him.

"Did you talk to Tsunade?" The brunette nodded. "What did she say?"

"It's fine, but she would like us to do it next Tuesday so that she can supervise. I would also like to ask my instructor to sit in, if that's all right. He'll be able to diagnose the problem and then point us in the right direction."

"Whatever," Gaara sighed. The redhead jumped slightly when he felt Yumi lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with confused eyes. She smiled at him and removed her hand, thinking that he was uncomfortable. The brunette was shocked, however, when Gaara reached out and grabbed her hand. She watched in curiosity as the boy observed it.

The redhead didn't know what to think. How could something as simple as a hand make him feel so weird? It wasn't just her hand either. He felt a weird sensation whenever she was in the same room with him. The feeling was so unfamiliar to him. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he never wanted it to go away.

* * *

**_Okay, so I decided to be extremely nice and post the next chapter... hmmm... let's see... I posted it about 4 days early. I am currently in a good mood, so you have that to thank. My cousin is staying the night tomorrow, so I wouldn't' have been able to post then, and I'm forcing myself to do some school work this weekend and making myself not get on the computer until I finish reading this horrible book. I'm almost finished though, which means that I only have 2 more books to read after that. Yay!!_**

**_Anyway, an even bigger reason for me to post early is that I received 11 REVIEWS for the last Chapter!! And what's even greater is that 9 out of the 11 were at least 2 full lines long!! That just makes me feel so happy._**

**_Originally, I didn't have the journal entries at the beginning. I just put those in yesterday, I think. I don't remember. I pulled whatever I could from my mind and did my best to make a few more journal entries, since you guys seemed to like them the last chapter. My beta reader didn't get a chance to look at my change since it was a spur of the moment thing, so if there are any mistakes, please bare with me. Also, I left out all the painful memories and stuff on purpose. One reason is because I don't want to spoil anything that may come in the future. The second reason is that I'm not too sure what to write without making Gaara seem OOC. Most of what I was thinking that would be in his journal will be seen in later chapters through his actions, so trust me. You're not really missing anything. :)_**

**_A Gigantic Thank You To The Following Reviewers:_**

**_AddictedtoBleach, Gaara-frenzy, Kina, StrawberryJellyTots, Sorami-san, Sakamoto Michiko, kitkat kezia, Dynasty Artemis, Kitsune Slave, ALIsmile, Yume Ninja._**

**_You guys really are awesome. I always look forward to your reviews. They all make me smile, which is really handy when I'm in a bad mood._**

**_Thanks to NeferNeferi for beta-ing my story and for putting up with all my questions and insecurities. _**

**_Okay, so next chapter, we have a guest character appearance! Can you guess who? XD _**

**_Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. I probably won't post the next chapter until close to next Wednesday, for a couple reasons. 1) I posted this one super early. 2) I'm going to be kind of busy this week. 3) I'm leaving the next chapter with a bit of a cliff hanger, so I'm going to post the 2nd chapter a couple days after that instead of the 4-7 days. I thought that seemed reasonable enough. We'll see. I'm usually very easy to persuade otherwise. ;)_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	10. Yumi's Instructor

It was Monday and a certain redhead was extremely nervous about the next day. He, Tsunade, and Yumi had already gone over what the procedure for Tuesday was going to be. It was only now that he was beginning to have second thoughts. He was still afraid that he was going to hurt someone, even though he was going to be restrained.

Gaara didn't like losing control of himself. When he lost control, it was like he was losing time. He wasn't able to remember anything that happened during that time period. It was aggravating and it made him miserable. He could kill someone and he wouldn't remember it.

Just then, the door opened and two people walked in. Gaara stared at the man walking alongside Yumi, taking in his features. He focused on the two large scars on his face.

"Gaara, this is my professor Ibiki Morino." The redhead nodded, pulling his legs to his chest. "He's going to help us tomorrow, so I wanted to introduce you two before then."

"What happened?" Gaara asked the tall man. Ibiki raised an eyebrow in confusion. The redhead used his index finger to draw an invisible line across his face. The older man laughed.

"I wasn't always a psychology professor," he told the young patient. "I was in the military for awhile." Gaara nodded in understanding. That was all he really needed to know.

"Do we have to shake hands?" he asked, looking into the man's brown eyes. Ibiki smirked at his question.

"Why do you ask that?" Gaara cast an accusatory glance at Yumi.

"She told me that it was polite to shake hands when I meet someone new." The professor slowly approached the redhead and extended his hand. Gaara slowly reached out, grasped a hold of it and shook it. He was slightly amused at how big the adult's hand was compared to his.

The redhead took his hand back and looked up at Yumi to see then that she was smiling at him. She looked like she was enjoying everything that was happening, but he wasn't sure what she was so amused about.

"I told Ibiki that you liked playing checkers." The man nodded.

"I know that Yumi isn't much of a challenge, so while I'm here, would you like to play a game?" The redhead thought for a moment before nodding.

Yumi watched as the two males sat down on the floor and played a game of checkers. The two of them were relatively quiet. Every now and then, Gaara would ask the older man questions about himself. Ibiki would answer them and follow them up with questions of his own. The redhead would sometimes look up at Yumi, almost as if he was making sure he was doing everything right. The brunette would just give him a smile and he would look away again.

Yumi knew that Gaara wouldn't have accepted Ibiki so easily if she hadn't been there. He had grown to trust her somewhat and knew that she would make sure nothing happened to him. If the woman said he was safe, then he would have to trust her. She hadn't lied to him yet and did her best not to give him false information. There had been one time that she had accidentally given him the wrong information. As soon as she learned of her mistake, she immediately corrected it though.

After about twenty minutes of playing, Ibiki had jumped Gaara's last piece. The redhead sighed in defeat and looked up at the instructor with bored eyes. The man smirked and started picking the pieces up.

"You're pretty good, Gaara," he told him. The redhead thanked him and helped him clean up.

Once the board had been picked up and put away, Ibiki looked down at his watch and sighed. "I have to be going now," he told Yumi. He then looked back down at Gaara and smirked. "It was nice to meet you. I guess I'll be seeing you again tomorrow." The redhead frowned and nodded. He watched as the man took his leave before standing up and taking a seat on his bed.

"Will he be in the room with us tomorrow?" he asked the female. Yumi sighed and took a seat beside him.

"He's going to observe from the outside," she told him. "Tsunade is going to be in the room for the first half and then I will come in and try to calm you down." The redhead nodded, folding his hands in his lap. He cringed upon feeling Yumi's hand on his shoulder.

"I want you to practice your deep breathing and relaxing exercises tonight. You remember what I'm talking about, right? We practiced them last week." Gaara sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I remember." The brunette smiled and giggled at his reaction. She rubbed his shoulder a little bit before pulling her hand away.

"Something is bothering you. I can tell." He bit his bottom lip for a moment before nodding again.

"I'm nervous."

"That is what your deep breathing exercises are for. You have no reason to be nervous anyway. This isn't a test, so there's no way for you to fail. We just want to observe your reaction and see if there is anything we can do to lessen or eliminate it."

"Can you tell me what's going to happen again?" Yumi nodded.

"We're going to strap you into a chair, just like you and Tsunade had agreed. I won't be in there for the first few minutes. Tsunade will expose you to the blood and I'll be watching your reaction from outside. She'll leave and you'll be alone for a couple of moments before I come in. I'll ask you some questions and try to talk with you, stuff we normally do."

"You won't hate me afterwards, will you?" Yumi's eyes widened with shock.

"Of course not, Gaara!" she assured him. "I promise that I won't hate you. You would have to do so much more than that to make me change my feelings towards you." The pre-teen smiled weakly and nodded.

Yumi looked down at her watch and sighed. "Before I leave, tell me what you are going to do tonight."

He rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. "Practice my deep breathing and relaxing technique." The older woman grinned and nodded. She ruffled his hair and stood up.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Once he was alone, the real worry began to set in. He tried to focus on his deep breathing like Yumi had told him, but his thoughts started to wander. The redhead made things worse for himself, torturing himself with the thoughts of "what if".

After about two hours of agony, Gaara was able to get himself to calm down again. He lay on his bed, thinking of his past conversations with his female friend. He counted the days that she had been with him. Of course, Yumi had been with him longer than any of the other staff members and visited him more than any of the others.

Gaara didn't sleep that night, which wasn't surprising. He did, however, manage to keep himself rather calm for the rest of the night. Once Yumi and Tsunade came into his room the next morning, though, all his fear returned.

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

**_Look what you guys made me do! You made me post early again! Not that that's a bad thing! But seriously, 11 REVIEWS!! And all of them are at least 2 LINES LONG!! That combined with how excited I am about the next chapter crushed me like a bug and I couldn't withstand the waiting any longer. So I'll post chapter 11 soon after this. Hmmm... if I can get 11 reviews again, I can assure you that it will be before Wednesday. _****_So what did you all think of the guest character, or whatever you want to call it._**

**_A gigantic thank you to all the following reviewers!_**

**_Gaara-frenzy, Dynasty Artemis, Kitsune Slave, kitkat kezia, LadyAmazon, AddictedtoBleach, Kina Lupi, AP-Rhapsody slack-jawed cheese hugger, Sorami-san, and Cuzisme._**

**_You guys rock the boat!_**

**_Okay, so next chapter you get to see how Gaara acts around blood. Anyway, I'm sure you're all curious as to what happens to Gaara, so the more reviews I get, the more persuaded I am to post early, as you have all witnessed. Also, the longer the better._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! _**


	11. Blood

Gaara watched as Tsunade slowly approached him. The blonde knelt down in front of him and produced a small, thin bar from her pocket. She took his wrist and stuck the bar into the tiny hole on his silver wristband. The bracelet popped open and she slid it off. She then did the same thing to his other wrist before standing up and motioning for him to follow.

The red-haired patient stopped a couple of feet away from the door, staring at it with nervousness. He had had bad experiences with that door. Just because the bracelets were off didn't mean that it still wouldn't shock him. That door had shocked him several times, and it was extremely painful. He didn't want to chance it.

Yumi saw his hesitance and went to stand next to him. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to look up at her.

"It's alright, Gaara," she assured him. "The bracelets are off so you're safe. I promise." She took his hand in hers, slowly leading him forward. It took a few minutes, but the two of them were finally out of the room.

Gaara held onto Yumi's hand as they walked down the hallway. His eyes darted back and forth, taking in everything that he was seeing. He hadn't been out of his room for almost two years, so he was rather excited and slightly nervous. The brunette smiled at the redhead's reactions, happy that he was at least able to get out of his room for once.

The trio met Ibiki outside of the observation room. He smiled at the redhead. "How are you feeling, Gaara?"

He looked up at Yumi's instructor and shrugged. "Okay I guess."

The man chuckled. "That's good."

Yumi led her patient into the room and sat him down in the wooden arm chair. She knelt down in front of him, looking into his sea-green eyes.

"Just relax," she told him. The redhead nodded nervously. "If you can, use those deep breathing and relaxation exercises." She slowly stood up and moved out of the way so that Tsunade could prep him. The blonde also knelt down in front of the pre-teen, looking him in the eyes. She placed one of his arms on the armrest and strapped it down.

"Is this too tight?" she asked. Gaara shook his head and Tsunade did the same thing to his other limb. When she finished, he tested the bonds and sighed. "Do you still want to go through with this? Once we start, we can't stop." He nodded again and looked up at Yumi.

"I'm going to be outside for the first part," she reminded him. The brunette ruffled his hair as she walked past him and out of the room. Tsunade stood up and took a few steps back. She took out a small surgical knife, watching as Gaara's eyes widened. The young boy gripped onto the arms of the chair and tightly closed his eyes.

Tsunade slid the blade across the skin of her hand, leaving a trail of blood behind. The woman had been afraid of blood in the past, but she had long since gotten over that fear.

"Gaara, you have to open your eyes." Hesitant at first, the young patient slowly opened his eyes. As soon as he saw the crimson liquid streaming down her arm, his face immediately paled. His breathing became short and uneven. He began shaking uncontrollably and whimpered softly to himself. The redhead leaned forward, hiding his face from the woman and crying out in pain.

"Are you alright, Gaara?" Moments later, the pre-teen slowly lifted his head up. His shaking subsided and a look of complete hatred was plastered on his face. His eyes seemed to have changed colors. They were no longer the sea-green tint they had always been, but more of a yellow. Tsunade was slightly shocked by this. She knew that he had an extreme change in personality, but she hadn't seen him up close.

"You killed them," he growled. The blonde raised an eyebrow, surprised that there were tears welling up in his eyes. She gasped when he suddenly tried to lunge at her. The bonds held him to the chair, much to her relief. Tears streamed down the boy's face as he struggled against his bonds. "I'm gonna kill you bitch!"

"Why are you going to kill me, Gaara?" she asked, regaining her calm composure.

"You were the one who killed Temari and Kankurou!" he screamed, still struggling against his bonds. "I'm going to kill you the same way you killed them. I'll slit your throat and watch with pleasure as your blood stains the floor."

Tsunade's eyes widened in fear as one of the restraints suddenly snapped. Gaara quickly reached over and undid the other before jumping up from the chair. He was about to lunge at her, but was grabbed by the arm and yanked back into the chair. The blonde stared at Yumi with surprise in her eyes.

"Let me try and calm him down alone," the brunette pleaded, still holding Gaara down in the chair. Tsunade nodded and quickly exited the room.

Gaara glared up at Yumi with hate filled eyes.

"You're going to pay for that," he growled, swatting her hands away and getting back up from the chair. He took a few steps threateningly toward her, and the brunette slowly inched away from him.

"Gaara, please calm down!" The redhead wouldn't hear any of it. He lunged forward, grabbing Yumi by the throat and pinning her against the wall. Tears were streaming down the frightened brunette's face.

"You took everything away from me!" he spat. "You took away the only people who remotely cared about me! I have no one because of you!"

"Gaara…," she gasped, "I care." With a shaky hand, she reached out and brushed her fingertips against his tear-stained face. His eyes widened and slowly began to turn back to their normal greenish color. Gaara's body started shaking uncontrollably as he realized what he was doing. His grip around the female's neck loosened as tears streamed down his face once again. He quickly pulled away from her, falling to his knees.

Yumi didn't move from where she stood but was trembling slightly. This had been the first time that she had witnessed Gaara in that state. He really had had the full intent to kill her. Gaara had turned into a monster, but she had brought him back to reality, somehow.

The startled brunette gazed down at the broken child. There was still a part of her that feared him, but there was also the part of her that cared about him. She had promised him that she wouldn't hate him over what would happen, but she hadn't expected any of this to happen. Was there anything she could even do to help him now? There had to be, especially if she had been able to reach out to him. Even if she hadn't promised, there was still something inside her that wouldn't let her turn away from him.

Hesitant at first, she slowly walked over to Gaara and knelt down beside him. Gaara instantly tried to move away from her, but was caught by the wrist.

"I don't want to hurt you!" he cried, trying to pull away. Yumi yanked him hard, causing him to fall into her arms. She held his trembling frame against her body, stifling his weeping.

"I-I'm…sorry!" he choked between sobs, burying his face into her chest. Yumi could feel his tears soaking through the fabric of her blouse. She knew that he was sorry. Gaara had always hated hurting people and had been worried about something like this happening since the beginning.

The brunette ran her fingers through his blood-red locks, hushing the pre-teen that she held in her arms. "Listen to me, Gaara," she told him in a soft, but firm tone. "Just settle down. I accept your apology and I forgive you. You didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Tsunade and Ibiki silently entered as Yumi continued to talk soothingly to her red-haired patient. After a few minutes, Gaara had finally quieted down although he was still trembling a little bit.

"Please tell me you got something from that," Yumi sighed, looking up at Ibiki with pleading eyes. The instructor smirked and nodded.

"I don't really have much of a diagnosis," he began, "but I do have some ideas on how to help him get through this."

Yumi smiled weakly and looked back down at the boy in her arms. She let go of him and put a hand beneath his chin. Gaara sat up and looked at her through bloodshot eyes. "You're okay now," she told him gently. He nodded and dried his face with his shirt.

"Yumi," Tsunade began, "why don't you walk Gaara back to his room? He doesn't need those bracelets back on, so long as he promises to stay in it." She looked at the red-haired boy and he nodded solemnly. "Yumi, I want you in my office in 20 minutes. We need to have a meeting." The brunette nodded and stood up, helping her patient to his feet as well. The two of them slowly exited the room and walked down the hallway.

Once they were back in his room, she sat with Gaara on his bed for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word. Yumi eventually looked down at her watch and sighed. She got to her feet and started heading towards the door.

"Do you hate me?" the pre-teen asked. The woman turned around to face him and smiled.

"No, Gaara. I do not hate you. You're very special to me and I will do everything I can to help you." The redhead was silent and Yumi took this as her cue to leave.

Gaara sat alone, going over everything that she had said.

_"You're very special to me and I will do everything I can to help you."_ The young boy put his hand to his heart and smiled weakly.

"What is this feeling?" he whispered to himself. "Is this what Yashamaru told me about all those years ago? Could this be love?"

* * *

**_Well, you finally got to see a bit of Gaara's crazy side. What did you guys think? I know it's a little short, but I hope that it was worth it. Like I may or may not have mentioned, chapter 10 and 11 used to be just one long chapter, but I decided to chop it into two sections._**

**_I know I said I wouldn't post early if I didn't get 11 reviews, but I'm in a very good mood. I finished my horrible book, I started my second book and I'm not hating it so far, I got the results from my AP Psychology test back and found out the I GOT A 5!! which is like the highest rank you can get!, and I was super excited about posting this chapter. So even though I only got about 7 reviews, I'm being extra EXTRA nice and posting early. I'm expecting a decent amount of reviews though._**

**_A special thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Kina Lupi, Kitsune Slave, kitkat kezia, AddictedtoBleach, Sorami-san, Cuzisme, and NeferNeferi._**

**_Thanks to all of the reviewers who review periodically, you all know who you are and you all deserve big hugs! gives hugs to all her reviewers. _**

**_Okay, so I'm sure you will all love the next chapter as well, because you get a closer look at the murder. Mwahaha! I know you're all just itching to know who's behind all of Gaara's misery. So, I'll post that chapter up on Wednesday, which was the day I was supposed to post chapter 10, but because I'm so weak, it's going to be the day I post chapter 12._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! I really want to know what you guys thought._**


	12. The Murder

Yumi was sitting in a chair beside her instructor, Ibiki. Across from her, behind a wooden desk, was Tsunade. The blonde haired woman finished shuffling through some papers before settling down and looking at the two with concern-filled eyes.

"What do you two think?" she asked out of curiosity. Yumi shook her head.

"I'm not sure," she sighed. The blonde raised an eyebrow at her. "Tsunade, I don't think he killed his siblings." Ibiki nodded in agreement.

"I think that you should request that the police reopen the case," he added. The older woman looked at them sternly.

"It's not going to be that easy," she informed them. "What proof do we have that he didn't? You saw with your own eyes how he lashed out at Yumi. He even tried to get at me."

"That was part of a defense mechanism. He was accusing you and Yumi of murdering his siblings. Plus, he said that his siblings were the only ones who had cared about him. Why would he have taken that away? I don't think he would've."

Tsunade nodded in understanding. "I'll talk to one of the detectives about it. On another note, what are we going to do about Gaara?"

"You said that he doesn't remember any details of the murder?" Ibiki stated questioningly.

"We believe that he knows what happened and he's just not telling us," Tsunade informed him. "He could be trying to forget what happened, or maybe he has already forgotten. Gaara didn't trust anyone, so we couldn't really get anything out of him."

Yumi nodded and thought for a moment. "He has talked to me about one of his nightmares. It sounded like it could've been based on the murder."

"What did he tell you?" Tsunade asked.

"That's confidential. Besides, he didn't say anything that would've been completely useful."

"I know that you have a code you follow, but I have my reasons for asking. The reason I am asking this is because I want to see how much of it matches the report."

Yumi thought for a long moment. She didn't want to talk about something that Gaara had entrusted her with. At the same time, she didn't want to withhold any information that might help her patient in the end.

"I'll tell you the general stuff," she finally answered. Tsunade nodded and Yumi continued. "He said that he was coming home and he found his siblings dead in the kitchen. His legs gave out, so he was lying on the blood covered floor. Temari was alive and was trying to talk to him."

The blonde's eyes were wide with surprise. "All of that is fairly accurate," she stated, sounding rather dazed.

"What's different?" Ibiki asked.

"Gaara was in the room while the murder occurred. The police said that he was the one who committed the crime, but they have been known to pin the blame on whomever they can. Their only worry nowadays is to get the case solved as quickly as possible."

"So what is Gaara even doing here?!" Yumi asked, slightly outraged.

Tsunade smirked and chuckled at the female's reaction. "Have you already forgotten what he tried to do to you? We can't release him until he can remain in control of himself."

Yumi looked up at her instructor with pleading eyes. The man smirked and chuckled. "I'm guessing you want some advice." The girl smiled and nodded. "I have a couple suggestions, but both are going to prove to be quite traumatic."

The brunette frowned. "I don't know how much more of this he can take."

"You should at least try. The first thing you should try is to get him to reveal what happened in the murder. Be careful about creating false memories. You want to avoid pushing any suggestions on him."

"What makes you think that he would even tell me? He's kept it to himself for two years."

"He trusts you Yumi. You've been able to reach out to him somehow. Whether he fully trusts you or not, there is still a bond between the two of you that can prove to be helpful. The second thing you should do is trying to expose him to blood again. When you do that again, stay in the room with him. Talk him through it and try to keep him calm. It's all in his head. If he thinks he's going to lose control, then that is what's going to happen."

Tsunade smirked and nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan. Yumi, once Gaara can keep himself under control around blood when you're not in the room, I'll fill out his release papers."

"What will happen to him after he's released?" the brunette asked, her voice filled with concern.

Tsunade looked down at the ground with sad eyes and shook her head. "I'm not sure anymore. It worries me to send him into a foster home like that. He hasn't been outside of the hospital in over two years."

"If Yumi takes a vacation from being Gaara's counselor, she could technically be allowed to foster him," Ibiki told them with a smirk.

The younger woman's eyes grew large and the older woman just smirked.

"Would you be willing to do that?" Tsunade asked. "I think that it would be a lot less traumatic for him. He all ready trusts you, after all."

She thought for a moment before smiling and nodding. "When the time comes, I will be more than happy to do that."

**XxooooooooooooooooxX**

Yumi came in a little late the next day. When she entered Gaara's room, she was surprised to find him asleep. She wasn't surprised, however, that he was struggling beneath his blanket. The brunette hurried to his bedside and gently shook him awake. Her patient woke up in a slightly alarmed state. He looked up at her with minor relief.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Gaara nodded slightly and slowly sat up.

"I thought you would be mad at me," he murmured. Yumi shook her head.

"We've already talked about this. You couldn't help it."

The redhead was silent for a moment, staring off into space. "What did they say yesterday?"

Yumi smiled slightly and thought for a moment. "We talked about what we needed to do in order to help you," she began. She avoided using the phrase _"help you get better." _That only created more tension and she didn't think that he was really ill. "We reopened your siblings' murder case." Gaara looked up at her with shock-filled eyes. "We don't think that you did anything to them."

"What happens now?" he asked softly. "Do I have to do anything else?"

Yumi sighed and nodded. The redhead drew his legs against his chest, resting his chin on his knees.

"We're eventually going to need to do this again, but we're going to do it a bit differently."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else," Gaara whimpered. The young woman put a gentle hand on his shoulder, only to have it brushed away.

"Gaara," she began gently, "you need to quit worrying about that. Don't you want to stop stressing about that happening anymore? It's a burden that we want to help you get under control."

The pre-teen was silent for a few moments. "What else?"

"I need you to remember what happened the night of your siblings' murder." Gaara instantly turned a pale white color and buried his face in his legs.

"Why?" he whimpered.

"You saw who murdered them, Gaara. Until you remember who did it, you will probably keep lashing out like you have been." He looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Will you be here?" Yumi nodded and smiled weakly.

"I'll help you along the way. We don't have to do it today if you don't want to."

Gaara thought for a moment, chewing on his lip in nervousness.

"I'll try," he whispered. The brunette smiled and held her hand out to him. He looked at it, not fully understanding what she wanted. Then, hesitant at first, he reached out and took her hand.

"What do you remember from that night, Gaara?" she asked softly. The patient shook his head.

"It was my birthday," he told her. His voice sounded raspy, almost like he was losing it.

Yumi nodded, knowing that she was going to have to ask him questions if she wanted to get anywhere. He just couldn't bring himself to remember this on his own. "Can you sit up?" she asked. "I want to try something with you." Gaara brought his legs over the edge of the bed and turned so that he was facing Yumi. She held her hands out to him with her palms facing upwards.

"Take my hands," the female instructed. He slowly rested his hands on top of hers, allowing her to wrap her fingers around them. "Now close your eyes and relax your body. Take nice even breaths and try to focus on the night your siblings were murdered." Gaara followed her instructions, slowly inhaling and exhaling deeply. After a few minutes, his mind was cleared from any thoughts and he felt slightly tired.

"What time of day did the murder take place?" Yumi asked softly.

Images began going through his mind. He saw his siblings dressed in their pajamas and both of them were getting ready for bed. "Night," he answered simply.

The female thought for a moment, thinking about how to word her next question. She knew that if she were to use the wrong words, she could accidentally implant false information into his mind. "Where were you that night, Gaara?"

"At my house."

"Was anyone else in the house that night or were you alone?"

Gaara saw his siblings throwing popcorn at one another in the living room. They had been watching a movie. Their father came in a few minutes later, telling them to clean up the mess and get ready for bed. "Temari, Kankurou, and father."

"What were you doing that night?" she asked, watching for any negative reactions.

"I was watching Temari and Kankurou fight and throw popcorn." Yumi watched as he smiled weakly.

"Then what happened?"

"Father came in and told them to clean up and get ready for bed."

"Did you get ready for bed too?" Gaara nodded. "Was it at the same time as your siblings?" He shook his head.

"They were already in their pajamas, so while they cleaned up, I went upstairs to put mine on."

"What did you do once you finished?"

"I went back downstairs."

"Why?"

"Kankurou hadn't come up yet."

"So you went downstairs. Did anything happen then?"

Gaara tightened his grip on the woman's hands. Temari's screaming rang through his head. He remembered running into the kitchen just as Temari fell.

"Temari was screaming," he whispered. His body started trembling.

"What did you do?"

"I-I went to go see if she was alright."

"Was she?"

Gaara shook his head, a tear trickling down his cheek. "No, she was hurt. She was bleeding from the chest and stomach."

"Where was Kankurou?"

"Lying on the floor." Gaara paused, taking in a shaky breath. "He……wasn't moving."

"What did you do?" She gently squeezed her patient's hands, urging him to keep talking.

"It hurts," he whimpered. Yumi frowned, brushing the back of his hands with her thumbs.

"You can do it," she encouraged. "Just a little more, okay? Tell me what you did."

"I……I ran to Temari. She fell onto me……I tried to keep her up…but m-my legs gave out. We fell to the ground. I-I was l-laying in Kankurou's b-blood and T-Temari was on top of me. I….I got her off and tried to make her keep her eyes open, b-but she said she was s-so tired."

Yumi's heart ached for the young boy. No one deserved to go through that kind of pain. He had only been ten years old at the time.

"Who killed them, Gaara?" The redhead squeezed the female's hands tightly.

"It was my fault," he cried. "Father killed them because of me!"

_"That's how I feel about Touma's death,"_ she thought to herself. _"He wouldn't have died if I would've noticed something sooner. I know I shouldn't blame myself. I don't know why I do, but Gaara shouldn't be blaming himself either."_

"Calm down," she told him softly, pulling her hands away from him. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently dried his wet cheeks. "Why do you blame yourself?"

Gaara opened his eyes and looked into Yumi's deep green eyes. "Father said that it was my fault. Everything is always my fault." Tears started flowing from his eyes and running down his cheeks again. The brunette frowned, drying his face once more.

"Quit blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything."

"I want to be by alone," he told her, waving her hands away. Yumi sighed and got to her feet.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asked. The redhead nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Once Yumi was gone, Gaara broke down crying. _"I didn't want to remember any of this!"_ his mind screamed. _"Now I'm crying again. Why am I such a weak little baby?"_ The redhead buried his face into his pillow, muffling the sounds of his sobs.

* * *

**_So, are you surprised that it was his father? If you've read any of my other stories, I'm always ragging on Gaara's dad. What did you guys think? Please, I'd really like to know, because I'm really nervous about this chapter._**

**_Thanks to all the reviewers. Special thanks to those who reviewed last chapter:_**

**_Sorami-san, Cuzisme, Lena Lupi, kitkat kezia, RainBunnyBow, AddictedtoBleach, Gaara-frenzy, Yume Ninja, and Kitsune Slave._**

**_Thanks a bunch, and I hope to hear from you all again._**

**_Okay, so the next chapter isn't as depressing as the last two were, or at least I don't think so. Because I'll post the next chapter on Saturday night, or Sunday morning. One or the other, so look for chapter 13 around then._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	13. Retry

* * *

Yumi moped down the hallway towards her patient's room. Gaara had made her leave the previous day without saying much of anything. Ever since he had revealed what had happened on the night of the murder, he hadn't talked to her very much. She hoped that it would be different that day.

In her arms were a small canvas and some paint supplies. She knew that Gaara liked art and remembered that he wanted to try painting on canvas. The young patient deserved a short break from the stress everyone had been putting on him. He had been doing so much the past week and she was so proud of him.

Gaara looked up at her as she came into his room. His eyes immediately fell upon the items in her arms. The female smiled at him and set the supplies down beside her patient on his bed.

"I thought we would take a break today and we can just chat," she told him sweetly. "You can paint if you want. I brought you some canvas to try out."

"We're not going to talk?" he asked in his usual emotionless tone.

"If you want to talk, we can talk. I just thought that you might want to take a short break." Gaara nodded and began setting up everything so that he could paint. The young woman watched him in silence.

"Do you still see your younger brothers?" the redhead asked randomly. He dipped his paint brush into the paint and brought it to the cloth canvas.

"I speak to one of them every now and then," she told him.

"Why only one?"

Yumi sighed. "My youngest brother died about seven years ago from cancer."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. She shook her head.

"It's alright. I don't mind sharing that with you, especially after everything you have talked to me about."

The room was quiet for awhile. Yumi watched as Gaara's hand made smooth strokes across the cloth.

"Did you like going to school before you were admitted?" Gaara nodded slightly. "Which subjects did you like?" The redhead stopped painting for a moment to clean his brush out.

"I really liked math," he finally answered. "English is okay, but only because I like reading." The young patient looked up at her and smirked. "If we're not going to do anything, you can just go home." The brunette sighed.

"All right, but before I go, there is something we need to talk about." Gaara stopped painting and looked up at her with emotionless eyes. "I know it's a bit of a last minute's notice, but would you be willing to try overcoming that blood thing again tomorrow?"

Gaara bit his bottom lip with uncertainty, thinking deeply. He didn't want to hurt Yumi again, but he knew that he wouldn't stop hurting people if something wasn't done about it. "I guess so," he whispered finally. Yumi smiled and ruffled his hair, causing her patient to move away from her hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Gaara. Practice your deep breathing and calming exercises again tonight." The redhead nodded and went back to painting. Sighing deeply, Yumi turned and left her patient to himself.

_**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**_

_Touma was working on his computer, doing his best to ignore the female councilor sitting across the room. Time was passing by much too slowly. He wanted it to be over already, but it wasn't even close._

_"How was school today, Touma?" the brunette asked sweetly._

_"The same as usual," he sighed. "The teachers think I'm brilliant and the students hate me for it."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_Touma shook his head. "It's not your fault; you didn't do anything." Yumi got up and took a seat next to her blue-haired client._

_"You know I think you're great, right?"_

_"You're only saying that because I'm your patient."_

_"That's not true. You're actually one of the first patients that I truly enjoy being with."_

_"Why?" Touma stopped and turned to look the woman in the eyes._

_"I like you because you are a sweet person, Touma. Whether you know it or not, you are a great individual. Someone would be really lucky to have a friend like you." The boy smiled with embarrassment and turned back to his computer in order to hide it._

_"Thank you, Yumi." The female nodded and ruffled her client's hair. Touma swatted her hand away. "Why do you always have to do that?" he grumbled._

_"I don't know," she giggled. "I think you look so cute when you're frustrated." He rolled his eyes at her and sighed._

_**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**_

Yumi came early the next morning and was surprised to once again find Gaara sleeping. She sat down on the edge of his bed and gently shook him. The pre-teen groaned as he slowly woke up. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes and sat upright.

"Is it time to go already?" he mumbled. Yumi shook her head and smiled at him.

"When did you start sleeping?" she asked in curiosity. Gaara shrugged.

"About a week ago I guess." He rubbed his eyes before throwing the blanket off. "Why are you here so early?"

"I wanted to make sure you were ready." Her patient nodded sadly and dangled his legs over the edge of the bed. His eyes widened when he saw Yumi hold both of her hands out to him.

"Take my hands," she instructed. With slight insecurity, Gaara placed his hands on top of hers. "Now close your eyes and take long deep breaths." The young patient complied. He took in deep breaths and then slowly released them. His muscles began to naturally relax and all feelings of discomfort slowly vanished.

"Let's focus on positive things. Tell me about a good memory you have about your siblings."

Gaara thought for a moment, a small smile gracing his lips. "My seventh birthday," he told her quietly. "Temari tried to make me breakfast that morning and almost burnt the house down. Kankurou helped her, but it still didn't go very well."

"It's the thought that counts." Gaara chuckled softly and nodded. "Did anything else happen that day?"

"They were somehow able to buy me a stuffed bear. I claimed that I was too old for stuffed animals, but I loved it all the same I guess. Sometimes, I stuffed it in my backpack and took it to school with me. It was one of the first presents that I had gotten in a long time, so I cherished it."

The two of them chattered amongst each other for about an hour. Gaara felt relieved, but when Yumi told him that it was time to go, he felt as if they hadn't even talked. All the feelings of dread and worry came rushing back, although they weren't as bad as they had been earlier.

Gaara walked down the hallway alongside Yumi. He stared down at the white-tiled floor. They soon came to a room and they entered. Tsunade was already waiting for them and motioned for the patient to take a seat, which he did. The blonde secured his arms to the chair, using additional straps this time.

Gaara was slightly surprised when Yumi pulled up a chair and sat down right next to him. "I'm going to stay here this time," she informed him. Before he could say anything, Tsunade had already brought the blade across her hand. Gaara watched in horror as blood ran down her arm and dripped to the floor. His body began to tremble involuntarily and his skin paled significantly. Groaning softly, he leaned forward while clenching and unclenching his hands.

"Are you alright, Gaara?" Tsunade asked, looking at the patient with curiosity.

"Wouldn't you like to know, you murderous bitch!" The redhead looked up at her, bloodlust masked on his face. Suddenly, he lunged forward but the straps held him in place.

"Calm down, Gaara," Yumi told him emotionlessly, putting a hand on his shoulder. His head snapped in her direction and he glared at her. The female noted that his eyes didn't look the same as they normally did. They seemed to have a tint of yellow to them, like the last time.

"Who in the hell are you?" he asked, not easing up on his glare for a single moment.

"Do you know who killed your siblings?" she asked.

"She did," he growled, nodding his head in Tsunade's direction. "There's blood on her hands to prove it." Yumi just shook her head at him.

"Your father killed them, remember?" Gaara's eyes widened and he was slowly washed over by memories of the murder. Tears began to gradually fall down his cheeks. A few moments later, he began to viciously struggle against his bonds.

"I'll kill him!" he screamed, thrashing about violently.

"He's already dead, Gaara," Yumi informed him, raising her voice a little so that he could hear her. The redhead became immediately still, an evil smirk plastered on his face.

"It serves him right," he snickered. He looked back over at Yumi, his smirk disappearing. "Who are you?"

"I'm your friend, Yumi. I'm here because you're very special to me and I care about you." Upon hearing these words, Gaara's eyes softened and tears began to form in his eyes again. He leaned forward and whimpered in pain, his breathing becoming short and rigid.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly. The brunette shook her head and smiled. She wiped the tears away from Gaara's face and ruffled his hair.

"You did a very good job. I need you to try and calm down. We're going to try this one more time." He shook his head.

"I don't want to do it anymore! I'm tired of losing control!" Yumi gently cupped his cheek in her hand, causing the young boy's muscles to grow tense.

"Then don't lose control this time," she told him. "I know you can do it." He stared at her through tear-filled eyes for a few moments before finally nodding. "Take a few deep breaths and then look back at Tsunade." Gaara took in a few shaky breaths before finally turning his head toward the blonde woman and catching sight of the blood on her hand.

A sharp pain surged through his head. He whimpered and shook his head as he began to black out.

"I don't want this to happen anymore," he whispered through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes and continued whispering things to himself. After a few minutes, Yumi tapped him on the shoulder, causing the boy to jerk up and look at her with pain filled eyes. She grinned at him and without thinking, hugged her patient tightly.

"You did it," she whispered in his ear. After another moment, she pulled away from him to see that his face had turned a slightly green color. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

"I don't feel too well," he mumbled. Gaara looked up at Tsunade, forgetting that she still had blood covering her arm. He immediately looked away, feeling his stomach sink even lower.

"Yumi," Tsunade began, "release Gaara from his restraints and take him back to his room. I think he'll feel better after he gets some rest. We can try this again in a couple of days, if that's okay with you, Gaara."

The redhead nodded as Yumi undid the straps that held him to the chair. She helped him up and walked him to his room. He seemed to look better after he was back in his own chamber, which wasn't very surprising. The brunette sat beside him on his bed, neither of them saying a word.

"Do you have any other patients besides me?" Gaara finally asked. Yumi nodded.

"I have two of them," she sighed.

Gaara looked down at the ground with sad eyes. "I bet that I'm the only one who's psycho."

"You're not a psycho," she told him with a smirk. "But yes, you are the first and only client I have that is in an institute like this."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" She looked at him with confused green eyes.

"I'm more troublesome than the others probably are. You most likely don't have as many sessions with them as you do with me."

Yumi sighed. "Yes, I do have more sessions with you than the other two. The reason I come so often is because I want to get you out of here as soon as possible. By having more sessions with you during the week, we can get things done much faster."

"So I'm troublesome…"

"No Gaara, you're not troublesome. Teenage girls who call me at 3 o'clock in the morning, crying about how their boyfriend dumped them is troublesome." The boy chuckled.

"That really happened." Yumi rolled her eyes and nodded. "That is annoying." She nodded again.

"I really enjoy our sessions together."

Gaara was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Me too," he replied softly.

* * *

**_So, what did you guys think of this chapter? It was a little bit lighter than the last one, no? Also, you got to see another glimpse of Touma!_**

**_Speaking of Touma, I kind of have a bit of a spur of the moment idea that I'd like to run by you guys, since you are so awesome. I was thinking about maybe making a bonus chapter that is completely based around the life of Touma. What do you guys think? Should I, or should I not?_**

**_A big thanks to the following reviewers from last chapter:_**

**_Lena Lupi, kitkat kezia, Dynasty Artemis, ALIsmile, Cuzisme, RainBunnyBow, Kitsune Slave, KarasuMurasaki, Sorami-san, AP-Rhapsody, NeferNeferi, Yume Ninja, and slack-jawed cheese hugger._**

**_I really appreciate all the reviews you guys. It really makes me happy and gives me the motivation I need to keep writing. _**

**_I'll be posting chapter 14 around Thursday, so keep an eye out for it around then. Thanks to all!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!_**


	14. The Final Test

Gaara was led into the room that they used for _"testing"_ and once again, Tsunade was already there waiting for him. He was about to sit in the chair, like he normally did, but Tsunade stopped him.

"We're going to try it without you being restrained today," she told him. The redhead looked up at her with fearful eyes and shook his head.

"I-I can't…."

"You can," Yumi interrupted, resting an assuring hand on his shoulder. "You're always so negative. It won't hurt to have a little bit of confidence you know."

Gaara looked down at the ground in shame and nodded. "Fine, I'll try." The brunette smiled and went to stand off to the side.

Tsunade took out a small test tube with blood and held it out in front of Gaara. She was tired of cutting her hand open, so she just used a small sample of sterile blood instead. She poured it onto a white cloth and held it out for Gaara to see. The pre-teen immediately fell to his knees, crying out in pain. He gripped his head in his hands, tangling his fingers in his messy red locks. Tsunade held a tranquillizer in her other hand, just in case things got out of control.

Gaara shook furiously as pain surged throughout his entire body. He did his best to keep breathing deeply, but was starting to struggle with the breathing period. Tsunade noticed this and looked over at Yumi, who gave her a simple nod. The brunette slowly approached, but stopped when Gaara put his hand up, signaling for her not to come any closer. She cringed as Gaara vomited onto the floor, his body still shaking intensely.

Tsunade sighed, but smirked at the boy. "I guess that's better than attacking someone," she muttered under her breath. Gaara wasn't able to catch what she said, and the blonde was kind of grateful that he didn't. "I think that's enough for today. Yumi will help you back to your room, okay? You should really get some rest." The redhead nodded weakly, still shuddering slightly.

Yumi crouched down beside him and grabbed him under his arm. As she stood up straight, she brought the redhead with her. Gaara's knees shook viciously beneath him, threatening to give out at any minute. The brunette kept a firm hold of his arm, making sure that he didn't collapse. He leaned up against Yumi for support, fearing that he wouldn't be able to stand otherwise.

The two of them slowly made their way down the hall. Yumi paid close attention to Gaara as they sluggishly approached their destination. About halfway there, the female had her patient sit down against the wall while she made a quick stop to the staff lounge. She came out a few moments later with a bottled water and opened it before handing it to Gaara. He gratefully accepted it and took a few sips. When he finished, he handed it back to Yumi and she closed it. She helped him back to his feet and walked him over to his room.

Yumi made Gaara lay down on his bed and she sat down on the edge. The redhead winced as she brushed his bangs away from his eyes. Upon seeing his reaction, she quickly pulled her hand back. Sometimes Gaara wouldn't mind being touched by other people, but for the most part, he didn't like it. He didn't mind when it was necessary, like when Yumi helped him to his room. It was those affectionate touches, like just now, that he was uncomfortable with.

"I'm very proud of you," the brunette told him softly, trying to redeem herself for her mistake.

"I almost lost it," he whimpered, tightly shutting his eyes closed.

"But you didn't, and that's what matters. You have been doing very well."

"Thank you, Yumi," he mumbled weakly.

The brunette watched as her patient's breathing evened out and his muscles relaxed. "Do you want me to leave so you can get some rest?" she asked softly. Gaara nodded slightly, still not opening his eyes. "Then I'll see you tomorrow." The redhead nodded again and turned over on his side with his back facing her.

**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Another week passed by quickly. They _"tested"_ Gaara around blood a couple more times and found that he had gotten better at keeping himself under control, although he made himself sick at nearly every session. Near the end of the week, the pre-teen started becoming stressed out from all the _"tests"_ and Yumi canceled any other sessions they had scheduled for that week. She didn't want him to become physically ill from all the pressure that was being put on him.

Gaara was sitting on his bed, concentrating on the Sudoku puzzle that Yumi had given him. The brunette had taught him the rules and showed him what he was supposed to do. He liked logic puzzles and was glad about having something else to do to pass the time.

Yumi sat next to her young patient, smirking at him as he tried to solve the puzzle she had given him. His facial expression showed that he was deep in concentration. Five minutes went by and Gaara finished the Sudoku, looking up at Yumi with blank eyes.

"I can bring in some more for you to do when I come tomorrow," she told him sweetly.

Gaara raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "Tomorrow's Sunday," he said softly. "I thought that you didn't come on Sundays?"

"I'm coming tomorrow because Tsunade doesn't want me to come in on Monday." Gaara tilted his head to the side, giving her a questioning look. "She wants to give you a final test on that day. In order to do that, she doesn't want you and me to have any contact then." Gaara bit his bottom lip, looking down at the ground with nervousness. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He looked back up at her for a moment before returning his stare to the ground. "I don't know if I can do it," he whispered.

"You won't be able to with that attitude," she told him with a frown. "Have more faith in yourself. I'm sure you'll be amazed at how much you can do by just having a little more confidence." He nodded and sighed. "I think you can do it, Gaara. Just practice what you and I have been doing for the last month."

"I'll try," he sighed, running a worried hand through his hair. Yumi put a gentle hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Do you remember when I said that I didn't want to become friends?" he asked randomly. The brunette thought for a moment before nodding.

"I believe that was on my second visit," she told him, still thinking back to the day he was talking about. "We both agreed to just be acquaintances."

Gaara looked up at her with emotionless eyes. "Do you still think of me as just an acquaintance?" Yumi shook her head. "Does that mean that we're friends then?"

"If that's what you want."

He thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I'd like that."

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

When Yumi came the next day, Gaara immediately noticed something different about her. She didn't seem as lively as she normally was. He felt kind of bad, thinking that he was responsible for making her feel that way.

"Did I cause any trouble?" he asked sadly.

The female's eyes widened with shock. "Of course not!" she gasped. "I'm sorry; Sunday is just not my day." Yumi knew that Gaara would detect the gloom that hung around her. This was the main reason she didn't come on Sundays. She would just have to get over that until she left. Gaara was more important at the moment.

Yumi sat down next to her patient on his bed. He looked at her with skeptical eyes.

"You can go home if you want," he offered. Gaara didn't want to keep her there if she wasn't feeling up for it. She never made him do anything when he wasn't in the mood. Sure, she would often persuade him into doing what she wanted, but if he truly didn't want to do something, she wouldn't make him.

The brunette shook her head. "I want to be here, since I won't be tomorrow." Gaara nodded and sighed. "Do you like animals?"

He shrugged. "I guess they're alright. They are kind of annoying though." Yumi giggled and nodded.

"Yes, they can be at times. Did you ever have any pets?"

Gaara smirked. "We had a turtle for about a month. Temari found it in our backyard and said that it looked sick. She took care of it for awhile, but then said that it looked sad and let it go. Kankurou teased her by catching a garter snake and saying that it looked sick and suggested keeping it. Temari flipped out. She hated snakes and my brother always teased her about it."

Yumi giggled. "That's not really what I meant, but that works." Gaara shrugged and pulled a leg to his chest, resting his chin on his knee. The female opened her purse and took out a small book, holding it out to Gaara. He took it from her and looked at it. It was a book filled with Sudoku puzzles. He smirked and thanked her.

The two of them were silent for a while before Yumi broke the silence. "Is there anything you want to talk about before tomorrow?"

"I'm worried," he sighed.

The brunette nodded. "That's understandable. You just need to relax and think positively."

"What happens if I fail?"

"What happened to thinking positively?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Gaara shrugged and the female sighed. "If it turns out that you do fail, then we'll just keep trying."

"And if I don't fail?"

"Tsunade will fill out your release papers and you'll be placed into a foster home."

"We'll still be friends, right?" Yumi nodded and smiled. "Will I be able to call you at three o'clock in the morning and tell you any sob stories?"

Yumi laughed and nodded again. "Yes, Gaara. You may call me anytime you need to." The boy smirked and chuckled.

"I'll hold you to that."

**XxoooooooooooooooooxX**

It was Tuesday and Yumi was walking down the hall towards Gaara's room, but was stopped by Tsunade.

"We need to talk," she told the brunette. Yumi nodded and followed her boss into an empty room.

"How did it go?" she asked nervously.

The blonde smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "I knew that we weren't going to get top notched results, but I figured that they were good enough."

"What happened?"

"He ended up passing out. We took him back to his room while he was unconscious, so he still doesn't know anything."

"I see," the female stated blankly. "So what do you want me to do now?" The blonde thought for a moment before speaking.

"Why don't you take your vacation at the end of the month?" she suggested. "That way you still have two weeks left to finish up with Gaara."

"Are you saying that you're releasing him so soon?" Yumi asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

Tsunade grinned and chuckled softly. "I'll fill out the paperwork this week and I'm going to need you to fill out some forms as well."

"What am I allowed to tell him?"

"You can tell him about his accomplishment, but don't say anything about the fostering situation yet. I think we should wait until we get that part finalized." Yumi nodded in agreement.

"I understand."

"Come see me after you finish with Gaara. I want you to fill out the forms right away so we can get them approved as soon as possible." The brunette nodded and left the room.

**XxooooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara sat on his bed with his legs pulled up to his chest. His blanket was draped over his shoulders as he waited for Yumi to show up. He was hoping that she would bring the results of the test that had been conducted the previous day. Having blanked out not long after being exposed to the blood, he didn't know what had happened afterwards. When he had come to, he was lying on his bed. He was left to wonder what had happened since Tsunade didn't come in to tell him. To say the least, he was very nervous and had many doubts. Maybe he failed and they just didn't want to tell him the bad news. He was sure that if he had passed that someone would have told him sooner.

Gaara's head shot up as his door opened and Yumi came in. She walked over to him and took a seat beside him. Gaara looked up at her with pleading eyes, causing the female to smirk and wrap her arms around him.

"You did very well," she laughed, hugging the pre-teen close to her body. "I'm so proud of you." Gaara pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, wanting to make sure that she wasn't lying. He couldn't find anything that told him otherwise. His blanket fell off from around his shoulders and he just ignored it.

"What happened?" he asked emotionlessly.

"Tsunade said that you ended up passing out, but that was good enough for her. She's going to start filling your release forms out tomorrow and they should be completed by the end of the week." Gaara's eyes saddened and he looked down at the ground. "What's wrong? I thought you would be happy."

Gaara sighed. "I have been locked in this hell for 2 years. Not only that, but I have nothing to go back to."

"At least you get the chance to start over again." He shrugged.

"I guess you can look at it that way. I guess I'm just kind of nervous."

"Gaara, you have to keep control of yourself from now on. You understand that, don't you?" The pre-teen nodded.

The room entered an uncomfortable silence, but as usual, Yumi broke it. "My brother called me yesterday," she told her patient with a smile. Gaara looked up at her in curiosity.

"What's his name?"

"Ryuu."

"I'm glad you got to hear from him." Yumi nodded.

"His wife had a baby about 3 days ago, so he called me up and invited me to come out to see her."

Gaara smiled weakly. "You should go."

"I will probably go in a couple of weeks. Anyway, is there anything you want to talk about?" Gaara thought for a moment.

"You said my father died." Yumi nodded. "How?"

"He died not long after you were admitted. Tsunade told me that it was from alcohol poisoning."

"That doesn't surprise me," he sighed. "He was an alcoholic before I was admitted. I wonder why I wasn't told though."

The brunette shrugged. "I'm not sure, but you probably should've been." Gaara sighed and shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. I was never told much of anything."

"Gaara, was your father abusive to you and your siblings?" The pre-teen bit his bottom lip and nodded.

"It never got too bad though," he told her. "That is, until he killed them."

"Did he ever touch you anywhere he…"

"He never molested me," Gaara interrupted, staring at her with intense eyes. They slowly softened and he sighed again. "Most of what he did was with words. He was an expert at making someone feel like shit."

"Watch your language, Gaara," she warned him softly. Her patient apologized and she nodded. "Did you have any friends before the incident?" He shook his head.

"Not really. Kankurou would sometimes let me hang out with him and his friends, and Temari's friends all thought that I was cute." The female giggled. "I didn't like Temari's friends. All they ever wanted to do was hug me to death or dress me up in these degrading costumes."

"Why didn't you have any friends of your own?"

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure. The other kids just avoided and shunned me."

"That must've been hard." The he nodded slightly.

"It doesn't matter anymore though. I don't really care."

Yumi looked down at her watch and sighed. "I have to go." Gaara nodded. "Do you want me to bring a game of cards for us to play tomorrow?" He nodded again and the she got up to leave. "I'll see you then."

* * *

**_Yay! Another chapter!_**

**_Okay, I sincerely apologize for not posting when I said I was going to. It's only a day late, but from my point of view, it is unacceptable. I just got caught up in stupid things yesterday and procrastinated my posting, and that's what makes it unacceptable. To make up for my stupid procrastination, I'll post chapter 15 on Sunday._**

**_Also, sorry if it feels that the story is suddenly starting to speed up. I couldn't really think of any filler chapters. Plus, the story still has a ways to go, so there's still plenty of stuff to be told and to be read. _**

**_Okay, so there were several of you who said that a bonus chapter about Touma would be awesome, so I'm going to try and make that possible. Like I should have mentioned, I don't know which chapter it's going to be. I have to see where it will fit in the best. Also, because I haven't typed this chapter up yet, and because I'm going to make it before some of the chapters I have already typed up, my posts might be delayed. Hopefully that won't happen. I'm thinking that I'll probably be making that chapter 17 or 18. Somewhere around there._**

**_Here's my plans with that chapter. It's going to be more based on Touma's life outside of his counseling sessions with Yumi. You'll learn more about his mother, his school and home life, his father, and there will probably be some hints as to how his death occurred. If there is anything else you guys can think of that you want to know about Touma, please let me know. Since this is an AU story, a person's hair isn't normally blue. I might make up a tid-bit for this as well. I don't know. But I will tell you this, the more ideas I get, whether you give me suggestions or not, means that the chapter will be longer and you will know that much more about the mysterious Touma. So, if you have any suggestions, you're not only helping me, but you're adding stuff to your plate as well. _**

**_Okay, On to the thank yous for the reviews from last chapter. _**

**_AP-Rhapsody, RainBunnyBow, NeferNeferi, Gaara-frenzy, Cuzisme, AddictedtoBleach, kitkat kezia, slack-jawed cheese hugger, Kitsune Slave, Angel of Mercy, Me and Gaara 4ever, Lela Rye, and Yume Ninja._**

**_Thank you all so much and for all your support. It really means a lot and it gives me so much motivation to make this story the best that it can be. It also makes me want to make it as long as I can without making it boring or anything. I'm really going to hate when this comes to an end. Thanks again._**

**_So look for the next chapter around Sunday. Again, I'm sorry about the day late post. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	15. Big News

Another week came and went. Yumi was currently at her apartment and was cleaning up the guest bedroom. Her request for being Gaara's foster parent had been approved and she had to get the room ready for the pre-teen. She was going to tell him on Monday, since she had just found out about it that day and the next day was Sunday. Yumi was hoping that he wouldn't mind.

Tsunade had also given her clothes for the young patient, which had been kindly donated by several different staff members that had boys of there own. Yumi was going to take those with her on Monday as well, so Gaara could try them on. She just couldn't believe that he was going to be released on Friday. It was hard to wrap her mind around the fact, but she was so happy that it was a reality.

Yumi sighed to herself when she heard a knock on her door. She stepped out of the cluttered room and went to answer the door. A blonde pre-teen stood in front of her, grinning sheepishly. In the boy's hand was a small green cup. He looked up at her with his deep blue eyes and chuckled.

"Iruka wants to know if he can borrow a cup of sugar." The female grinned and nodded. She invited the boy inside and he followed her into the kitchen. He handed her the cup and she poured some sugar into it.

"How have you been, Naruto?" she asked sweetly. Yumi was friends with Iruka, but didn't really know the blonde boy too well. Iruka had adopted him about a year ago and she had watched him a few times when Iruka had to work unexpectedly and Naruto couldn't go to any of his friends' house.

"I've been fine," he answered, "how about with you?"

She handed the cup back to him and sighed. "I've been busy, as always."

"Well, I've gotta go. I don't want to keep Iruka waiting." Yumi nodded and showed the pre-teen out. She smiled to herself as she shut the door. A few moments later, she turned and went back into the guest room to finish cleaning it up.

"I wonder if Gaara and he could be friends," she thought out loud to herself.

**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara was sitting on his bed when Yumi entered the room. The young patient was normally in the same spot every time she visited, so that was usually the first place she would look to. She smiled when she saw him working on another Sudoku puzzle. He casually looked up at her and set the puzzle down off to the side.

"What are those?" he asked, referring to the two bags she was holding. The female walked over to him and set them down at the foot of his bed.

"They're clothes for you to try on when I leave," she told him as she sat down. Gaara sighed, shuddering slightly. "Are you all right?"

Gaara nodded slightly. "I'm just really nervous," he told her, keeping his voice low. "I don't even know what's going to happen to me. Everything is just happening so fast and it feels like I'm just along for the ride."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, along with something else."

Gaara gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

Yumi sighed. "Gaara, starting on Friday, I am no longer going to be your counselor."

The pre-teen could feel a sharp pain in his heart. Friday was the day that he was leaving, and the day that he had really wanted Yumi to be there. She had been there for him every other time, so why wouldn't she be there for the end? Didn't she care about him?

Tears began to form in the young boy's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "Why so suddenly?" he asked, his voice filled with sadness. "What did I do to suddenly make you desert me? Why are you betraying me like this?"

Yumi mentally slapped herself for her stupid mistake. She shouldn't have started out saying that. "It's not permanent, Gaara. I'm not allowed to be your counselor while I'm fostering you."

"What do you mean…wait—what?" He looked at her, a baffled look on his face. Gaara thought that he had heard the last part wrong.

Yumi smirked at this reaction. "I am going to be your foster parent, if that's all right with you, Gaara. You don't have to live with me if you don't feel comfortable with it."

Gaara lowered his head in slight embarrassment, chewing on his bottom lip. What should he say? He was relieved to hear that he was allowed to stay with someone that he was familiar with. He was also ashamed of himself for jumping to conclusions once again. As always, he had rushed to the assumption that she was betraying him. Why did he do that? When had she ever done anything for him to question his trust in her?

"You'd really do that for me?" he asked weakly. Yumi smiled and nodded. "Why are you willing to go that far?"

The female sighed. "Counselors normally frown upon forming close relationships with their clients, especially relationships like this. Sometimes it just can't be helped though. You're very special to me Gaara, so it's really no trouble. So, what do you say? Are you okay with staying with me, or would you like us to find a different foster family for you?"

Gaara was silent for a moment, thinking about everything. He finally nodded and smiled weakly.

"You spoil me," he muttered.

Yumi shrugged. "Not necessarily. You have earned everything that I have given you. It's not easy to talk about some of the things we have talked about. Not only that, but you have been through so much already."

Gaara shrugged and sighed. "It still doesn't seem like much."

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to make up for it all if you really want to."

The redhead smirked and stood up. He walked over to where Yumi had put the bags full of clothes. "Do you want to go through these with me?" he asked, opening one of the bags.

"Why not?" she chuckled. She watched her young client drag the bags over. He sat down beside her on the bed and started pulling the clothes out, one piece at a time. Gaara frowned as he slowly pulled out several pink shirts. He glared at Yumi, who was laughing at the boy's facial expression.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a grin. "I didn't know that those were in there." She took the shirts from him and he continued to dig through the clothes.

About half an hour later, Yumi looked down at her watch and sighed. "I have to go, Gaara. I have to meet with another client."

Her patient nodded. "A crazy teenage female?" he asked curiously.

She smirked and shook her head. "Not today. I want you to try those on tonight. Put everything that fits neatly in one of the bags and everything else that doesn't into the other. Please fold them tidily, okay?" He nodded again and watched as Yumi left.

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara was washing his hair when Yumi came the next day. The female giggled at him as he looked up at her with his hair covered in soapy bubbles.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. The pre-teen shook his head before leaning back over the stationary tub and rinsing his hair out. When he finished, he turned the water off and rubbed his hair dry with his towel. Gaara stood up and walked over to his bed, Yumi following him. She watched him slip a shirt on and smiled when he looked back up at her.

"I sorted the clothes out like you asked me to," he told her, pointing at the plastic bags.

"Which one is which?" she asked. Gaara's eyes widened and he smacked himself in the forehead. Yumi laughed at him and watched as he opened one of the bags up, revealing a pink shirt.

"This is the bag of clothes that don't fit, and that I won't wear. I put the pink shirts on top so that I'd be able to tell."

"At least you thought that far ahead," she giggled. Gaara smirked and nodded.

"Do you want to look at my sketchbook?" he asked, nodding towards the notebook that was lying on his bed. "I don't have anymore blank pages left in it, so I don't mind if you look at it now." Yumi nodded and sat down on the bed, Gaara sitting down beside her. He looked on with her as she flipped through the different pages.

The woman smiled when she came to some sketches of her. She looked down at him and smirked when she saw that he was looking away in embarrassment. Her eyes saddened when she came to some drawings of his siblings. One of the drawings was of his older brother. He was wearing black sweatpants with a black sweatshirt that had a hood with cat ears on it. His face had weird purple patterns on it and she could see his brown bangs sticking out from his hood. In the boy's hand was a wooden snake puppet.

"My brother liked puppets," Gaara explained. "He liked making them even more though. The snake puppet was his favorite, though, because he liked using it to scare Temari."

Yumi turned the page, revealing a drawing of his older sister. She was wearing a short, light purple dress with fishnet stockings. Her hair was put up in four ponytails, just like Yumi had seen in a photograph. The girl was holding a beautifully decorated fan in each hand, one of the fans covering the bottom half of her face.

"Temari liked collecting fans. I made her a paper fan once and gave it to her on her birthday. She said it was her favorite and she hung it up on the wall over the headboard of her bed."

"You're a very good artist, Gaara," the brunette told him. Her client thanked her, trying to hide his embarrassment again. She turned the page and stared questioningly at the picture before her. "What is this?"

Gaara looked at it before sighing to himself. "It's a picture of a sand monster," he explained. "My brother told me about it once when we went to the beach. He was trying to scare me or something, but it didn't really work. I think he did it because he was mad about having to look after me, since I was only about 7 at the time."

"My younger brothers used to tease me about the monster hiding in the closet all the time," Yumi chuckled. "One time, they even went as far as dressing up in a monster costume and jumped out of my bedroom closet when I was getting ready for bed." Gaara smirked, suppressing a chuckle.

"We scared Temari a lot, but it was usually with bugs and snakes and stuff like that."

The two were silent for a few moments.

"Are you still nervous about Friday?" Yumi asked, looking at Gaara in curiosity.

The redhead sighed and nodded. "Just a little bit though. It has been two years since I've set foot out of this institute. I haven't even been able to sleep at all since the day of that test."

"Nightmares?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

He shook his head. "I just can't stop thinking about everything. It's nerve racking."

Yumi laid a gentle hand on her client's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry so much," she told him. "Everything will work itself out." Gaara sighed and nodded.

"Are you going to see your niece anytime soon?" he asked randomly.

"Maybe, but if I do, I'm dragging you along with me."

The redhead shrugged. "I don't care." Gaara was silent for a minute. "Yumi…"

"What is it?" she asked.

The pre-teen looked down at the floor with sadness in his eyes. "What are they saying about me?"

The brunette gave him a confused look. "Who are you talking about? I'm not really following."

"The other medics; are they saying anything about me?"

"What makes you think that they are?"

"They give me these cold looks when they come in to check on me, so I was just wondering. Maybe they don't think I'm ready to leave."

Yumi sighed and shook her head. "Not that I am aware of. There is one nurse that talks to me about you. I believe that it was the nurse that you tried to hurt when I was sick." Gaara shrunk back, looking away from her with pain-filled eyes.

"What does she say?" he asked, keeping his voice at a whisper.

"She asks how you are doing and if you are doing any better. When she heard that you were being released, she seemed to be very happy for you."

"Really?" Yumi smiled and nodded before looking down at her watch. Her eyes widened.

"Oh crap!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to be late for my next appointment."

"I'm sorry," Gaara apologized. Yumi shook her head as she got up.

"I'm actually not that far away, so I shouldn't be too late. I'll see you tomorrow."

Yumi hurried out of the room, bumping into one of the nurses in the hallway. She smiled and the golden haired nurse smiled back.

"We were just talking about you," Yumi told her with a smile. The nurse nodded.

"Is it alright if I go in and see him?" she asked nervously. Yumi grinned and nodded.

"Of course you can, but I have to leave. I'm late for my next appointment."

"I think I can handle it by myself."

"Okay. I'll see you later, Jenny." The nurse nodded and smiled as Yumi rushed down the hall.

Taking in a deep breath, the nurse entered the young patient's room. Gaara looked up at her with surprise as she slowly approached him. Once he recognized who she was, he immediately looked away in shame.

"Gaara, my name is Jenny."

"What are you doing here?" he asked bitterly.

The blonde shuffled her feet in nervousness before forcing herself to continue. "I wanted to apologize for my last visit. It was careless of me and I ended up putting you through a lot of trouble."

Gaara looked at her with shock in his eyes. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing," he told her. "I'm the one who lashed out at you."

"Yes, I know that. You couldn't help that though. As a nurse, I'm supposed to judge whether or not something would set you off."

The room entered in an uncomfortable silence. "So you're being released on Friday," she finally spoke up. "I want to wish you the best of luck. You really deserve it after everything you have been through."

"Thank you."

The woman sighed. "Well I have to go and take care of the other patients. I just wanted to apologize to you while I still had the chance."

Gaara nodded. "I'm sorry as well, and I accept your apology."

The nurse smiled and nodded before turning away. She stopped when she felt a tap on her back. The blonde turned around and looked at Gaara with questioning eyes.

"What was your name again?" he asked softly.

"My name is Jenny," she told him sweetly. Her eyes widened when Gaara held a hand out to her. Hesitant at first, she firmly grasped it and shook his hand.

"I'm glad that you're alright," he told her. She grinned and slowly took her hand back.

"Maybe we'll talk sometime before you leave."

Gaara nodded and smiled weakly. "I'd really like that."

* * *

**_Yay! Chapter 15 is finally up! WOOT!_**

**_I thought that I would bring the nurse that Gaara attacked back into the picture for a brief moment. After all, she was the one who brought the attention to Gaara's "blood problem". Did I do a good job with that?_**

**_Also, I introduced Naruto into the story! It was only a small snippet, but I needed to introduce him somewhere._**

**_Okay, so the chapter with Touma is going to be chapter 18, I might also make a second chapter about him with a more detailed account of his death. If I do that, it will probably end up being chapter 20. I have already started typing out chapter 18 and I'm still working on it. Hopefully, I'll have it done before it's time for me to post it. _**

**_Anyway, thanks to the following people who reviewed last chapter!_**

**_Yume Ninja, Sakamoto Michiko, Lela Rye, Kina, kitkat kezia, RainBunnyBow, pizzaslices, Dynasty Artemis, AddictedtoBleach, and Gaara-frenzy._**

**_Thank you all so much!!_**

**_Look for chapter 16 around Thursday._**

**_Let me know what you thought about this chapter. I really love getting feedback from all of you guys and it really helps me in the long run._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	16. Freedom

Gaara walked down the hallway, gripping tightly onto Yumi's hand. The odd looks that the medics were giving him were causing him to become more and more nervous. In order to avoid their stares, he forced himself to look down at the floor. Every now and then, he would look up at Yumi for some reassurance and she would give him a comforting smile before looking to what was ahead of them.

The two of them stopped by Tsunade's office. Yumi's boss looked at the red-haired patient and smiled. She knew that he had come such a long way and was happy that he was finally being released.

"I'm going to be checking up on you two periodically," Tsunade warned them. The two nodded and the she smiled. "I wish you the best of luck, Gaara."

"Thank you," he mumbled.

"Well, I'm not going to keep you two any longer. I'm sure he's anxious to get out of here."

"I guess I'll be hearing from you soon," Yumi sighed. Tsunade nodded and watched the two turn and leave.

They passed by Jenny as they were nearing the exit of the building. Gaara stopped and looked up at her with blank eyes.

"Are you leaving?" she asked sweetly. He nodded. "Well, I hope that everything works out for you, love." He nodded again and continued walking alongside Yumi.

When they got to the door that led outside, Gaara stopped for a moment. He stared at the large glass door with dead eyes, but on the inside, his heart was beating rapidly. It had been so long since he had been outside, or had even seen the outside. He knew there was nothing to be nervous about, but he just couldn't help it. Just thinking about stepping outside the institute for even a moment caused him to feel kind anxious.

Yumi gave the pre-teen's hand a gentle squeeze and led him out of the building. He squinted and shielded his eyes from the blinding sun. Relying on Yumi to lead the way, he continued to walk with no sense of direction. He was so used to his dimly lit room that he had forgotten how bright the sun was.

Gaara heard a car door open and felt Yumi guiding him into the car. Once both of his legs were inside, he heard his door shut and another one open and close as well.

"Put your seatbelt on," she told him as she put her own one on. Gaara reached over his shoulder, pulling the strap down and across his chest. He slid the metal part into the buckle, hearing it click into place. Satisfied, Yumi started the engine and put the car into reverse.

As the woman drove, Gaara stared out the window with wide eyes. His vision had finally adapted to the brighter environment and he did his best to take in everything. It had been too long since he had seen the green trees and grass; heard the sound of traffic and people chattering noisily; felt the warmth of the sun on his skin; smelled the sweet aroma that some of the restaurants gave off as they drove by. Too much was happening too fast and was leaving him feeling a little dazed, but he ignored that feeling. He didn't care at the moment. All he wanted to do was catch up on everything that he had missed over the two years of his imprisonment. Yumi peeked over at him every now and then, and smiled at the his reactions.

Yumi reached over and turned on the radio, causing Gaara to jump in surprise at the sudden noise. She giggled slightly at his reaction, which caused him to glare at her.

"What's wrong, Gaara?" Yumi asked with a smirk. "Don't you like music?" He frowned and looked away from her.

"It's alright," he mumbled, "when it isn't blasting in my ears." Yumi turned it down a little, apologizing to her young friend.

After about twenty minutes, they pulled into the back of an apartment complex and parked the car. Yumi locked the car once the Gaara was out. She started walking towards the building, expecting him to follow her inside. When she turned around, she found that he was still far behind. He was walking slowly behind her, looking up at the clear blue sky with blank eyes.

"Come on Gaara!" she called. The redhead looked up at her and saw her wave for him to follow. He sighed and walked a little faster. They both walked up a few flights of stairs and then down a dimly lit hallway. Yumi took her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door.

Gaara's eyes wandered around the apartment as he followed her into the guest bedroom.

"Your clothes are in the dresser," she informed him. Gaara nodded and went to go sit on the bed.

"I don't feel too well," he sighed. Yumi nodded.

"That's understandable. A lot has happened today, so you're probably overwhelmed with everything."

Gaara lay down and buried his face into the pillow.

"The bathroom is right across the hall if you need it." Gaara nodded, gripping onto the pillow with his hands. She smiled at him and quietly closed the door behind her.

Just as Yumi entered the kitchen, she heard someone knock on her door. She sighed and went to go answer it. She smiled when she saw Iruka standing before her.

"Hey, how have you been?" she greeted.

Iruka chuckled. "I've been fine. How are you doing?"

"Same here; so what can I do for ya?"

"I was wondering if you could watch Naruto on Monday. It's only from around noon to two o'clock. As you know, I still don't trust him home alone after what happened last time."

"Yes, I can understand that," she giggled. "I don't think that should be a problem, but remember that I'm fostering someone now."

"Oh yes, that's right! How is he doing?"

"He's doing well, but he's resting right now. Today is his first day in a different environment, so he's kind of overwhelmed with everything at the moment."

"Well, that's understandable. He's the one from the institution, right?" Yumi nodded. She had told Iruka a little bit about the red-haired pre-teen, although she didn't tell him any details. All he really knew was that Gaara had been in an institution for some time and that he would be staying with her. "I'm glad that everything is going well for him now. I haven't told Naruto about him yet, and I think I'm going to let him find out about Gaara himself. He knows that there is someone staying with you, though. Well, at least he _should_ know. You know how he is; he never pays attention to anything." Yumi laughed.

"I sure hope that they can get along with each other. Gaara could really use a friend his age." Iruka smiled and nodded in agreement.

"So are you sure that it's alright for Monday?"

"I don't have an appointment until three thirty, so it should be fine."

"Alright, then I'll send him over around noon. I'll also be sure to remind him that there is someone else here." Yumi nodded and smiled.

"Then I'll see you guys on Monday." Iruka nodded and left.

**XxoooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara moped out of his room around seven thirty, just as Yumi placed two plates of spaghetti and meatballs on the table. She looked at him with a smile and motioned for him to take a seat at the table. Gaara sat down across from the Yumi and stared at the plate with emotionless eyes.

Yumi looked at him with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked sweetly. He looked up at her and nodded.

"I'm just not very hungry," he murmured. She nodded, still frowning slightly.

"Try and eat what you can, but I'm not going to force you if you don't think you can keep it down."

Gaara picked up his fork and swirled the noodles onto it. The two ate in silence for about fifteen minutes before Yumi said anything. "Do you want to do something tonight, or do you just want to call it a day?"

The redhead swallowed what was in his mouth and sighed. "I think I just want to stay in my room for the night. I'm still feeling kind of sick." Yumi nodded in understanding. Gaara set his fork down and pushed his plate away from him. "Do you want me to clean my own plate?" he asked.

"I'll take care of it tonight," she told him. "Why don't you take a shower and call it a day? It's only eight right now, but you look absolutely exhausted."

Gaara nodded. "That's fine."

Yumi stood up and motioned for the pre-teen to follow her. She led him down the hallway and into the bathroom. The woman opened a small closet and took out a towel, a wash rag and a bar of soap.

She handed the three items to Gaara and smiled. "You know how to work a shower, right?" He just stared at her, not really knowing what to say. If it was like any other shower system, then yes, he knew how to work it. But the way that she was talking to him made him feel like it was some complicated system. Yumi chuckled at his hesitance and walked over to the shower. "This is the hot water and this is the cold water," she told him, pointing at each knob. Gaara nodded and hung the towel up outside of the shower.

Yumi left the room, shutting the door behind her. The redhead turned on the tap water and adjusted it to the right temperature. He stripped himself of his clothes and stepped under the warm water. It had been such a long time since he had had an actual shower. The only place he had to bathe himself, while he was in the institution, was the wash basin.

Gaara sighed in relief from the warmth that surrounded his body. He lathered the shampoo into his hair and rinsed it out a few minutes later. Gaara then washed his body with the rag and soap that Yumi had given him.

He had stayed in the warm shower for at least 15 minutes, if not longer. Once he was finally finished, he dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. After picking his clothes up, he exited the bathroom and went into his bedroom. He got changed into a pair of black pajama Capri's and a white t-shirt. The redhead turned the light off and crawled under the covers of his new bed.

There was still a bit of light being emitted from the window, although most of it was being blocked by the curtain. It was only eight-thirty, but his mind and body were exhausted from everything. Gaara slowly closed his eyes and quickly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**_Gaara's free!! I know this chapter was kind of on the short side, but some of my chapters are just like that. It was like 7 pages on Microsoft, so I thought it was a decent size. Anyway, besides that, what did you all think about this chapter? Please let me know! _**

**_I posted a day early because I received over 10 reviews, which is awesome! Because you guys were so awesome, I decided to be awesome too and post a day early. grins happily_**

**_A special thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_RainBunnyBow, LadyAmazon, AddictedtoBleach, Gaara-frenzy, Sakamoto Michiko, Lela Rye, Cuzisme, kitkat kezia, NeferNeferi, KarasuMurasaki, and Yume Ninja!_**

**_Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews. Keep 'em coming. Look for chapter 17 around Sunday. If I get over 10 reviews, I'll post a day early again. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	17. Hope and Faith

Gaara woke up late the next morning, almost forgetting that he was in a new environment. He had thought everything was just another dream, and that he would wake up in the mental institute once again. To his relief, everything that had happened turned out to be real.

The redhead slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with two balled up fists. Finally, he threw the covers off and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He looked around the room and sighed before getting up and leaving it behind.

Gaara walked out into the kitchen and saw that Yumi was cooking breakfast. The female looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Did you get a good night's sleep?" she asked. The pre-teen nodded and let his eyes wander around the kitchen. It was kind of small, but it was a decent size for an apartment. The walls were a soft yellow color and had a sunflower border that went around the entire kitchen area.

"How do you like you eggs?" Yumi asked, jerking Gaara from his thoughts.

"Scrambled is fine," he answered softly.

The female nodded and cracked 3 eggs into a bowl. "Breakfast will be done in about 5 minutes. Why don't you go get dressed and wash up while I finish here?"

Gaara nodded and went back to his room, shutting the door behind him. The redhead stripped himself of his pajamas and slipped on a pair of dark blue jeans and a tan t-shirt with a skull printed on the front in a dark brown color. Once he was dressed, he went into the bathroom and washed his hands and face. He then dried his face off on one of the towels hanging up and went back out into the small dining room. Gaara took a seat in one of the chairs, just as Yumi set a plate down in front of him.

The brunette took a seat across the table from him and the two of them began to eat in silence.

"Do you have any appointments today?" Gaara asked in his normally soft tone.

Yumi smiled and shook her head. "No, I normally don't have appointments on the weekends." The redhead took another bite of eggs, avoiding eye contact with the older woman. "I thought that we could go to the park today, that is, if you're feeling up to it."

"That's fine," he replied. Yumi watched as the redhead picked at the food on his plate, taking a bite every now and then. Sighing, he finally set the fork down and slouched back in his chair. The brunette had just finished eating and stood up.

"Will you help me with the dishes?" she asked the pre-teen. Gaara nodded and followed her into the kitchen, taking his plate with him.

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Gaara lay on his back in the middle of an open field, his limbs splayed out on the green grass. The sun was shining brightly and his body welcomed the warmth it produced. Gaara stared at the blue sky absentmindedly, watching as the clouds slowly drifted over him. A small breeze gently played with his bangs, causing them to get in his eyes. He brushed them out of the way before laying his hand back down beside his head.

The pre-teen listened to the sound of children playing on the nearby playground. It was the sound of the swing-sets, though, that brought back old memories.

_**XxooooooooxX**_

_Gaara was sitting all alone in the small park that was across the street from his home. He was occupying one of the swings, gently swaying back and forth. The small seven-year-old gripped onto the chains on either side of him and looked down at the ground with sad eyes. No one ever wanted to play with him. Ever since his uncle's death, all the kids would run away in mock fear. They called him a monster and a murderer. All the other children were afraid of him or their parents didn't want them playing with the likes of him. _

_Gaara gasped upon feeling someone grab hold of his shoulder. The redhead peered over his shoulder, looking up at his brother. Kankurou smirked at him and sat down on the swing that was next to Gaara. The younger boy looked at him with quizzical eyes, trying to find out what he was doing._

_"I bet I can swing higher than you," Kankurou taunted playfully. He began pumping his legs, gradually swinging higher and higher. Gaara followed his brother's lead and they eventually fell in sync with one another, swinging back and forth. The brown haired boy looked over at his younger brother and grinned at him. Gaara smiled back, laughing softly._

_"Jump on the count of three," his older brother told him. Gaara nodded and listened for his brother to start counting. "One… two… three!" The two boys jumped from their swings and flew through the air. They both landed on their feet, Kankurou ending up a little further ahead than Gaara._

_"I beat you," he gibed._

_The redhead frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "Only because you're taller than me," he pouted. _

_Kankurou laughed, ruffling his younger brother's hair. "Are you saying that you want a rematch?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. Gaara smirked and nodded before dashing back toward the swing. His older brother followed behind him and the competition started all over again._

_**XxooooooooxX**_

Gaara weakly smiled to himself, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. Sighing to himself, he got up and walked over to the bench where Yumi was sitting and reading a book. The female closed her book and smiled at her red-haired friend.

"Ready to go?" she asked. He nodded and she stood up. The two of them slowly walked out of the park and down the street.

"What are we doing the rest of the day?" Gaara asked, looking up at the female with questioning eyes.

"I don't know. We can do whatever you want, but we can't stay out too late or anything like that."

"Why not?"

Yumi smiled and looked down at him. "I go to church on Sunday mornings," she explained to him. "I want you to come with me the first few times. If you don't want to come with me anymore after that, I'm not going to force you to. I don't want to leave you home alone just yet."

Gaara looked down at the ground with uncertainty in his eyes. "I've never been to church before."

"That's okay. It's about an hour long and I usually stay after for about fifteen minutes to talk with some of the people that I know." The redhead nodded and continued to walk beside the older woman.

_**XxooooooooooooooooooooxX**_

_"Do you go to church, Touma?" Yumi asked, looking at her blue-haired patient with curious eyes. The young teen sighed and nodded. "You look like it's a bad thing."_

_Touma shook his head. "It's not that church is bad or anything," he informed her. "It's just that everything has been getting difficult lately with my mother. I'm starting to question my faith, and myself."_

_"Sometimes stuff like that happens. I think that it helps having a little piece of hope."_

_"Hope for what?" he asked, looking at her with questioning eyes._

_"I don't know. Hope that one day you'll be saved, or that there is someone out there that actually does care about your existence. It all depends on the person."_

_"What do you hope for, Yumi?"_

_"I hope that the Lord gives me the strength to help as many people as I can. What do you hope for?"_

_Touma thought for a moment. "I'm not really sure. I guess I hope that the pain I've been feeling stops."_

_"What pain?"_

_Touma grabbed a hold of his chest. "My heart has been aching a lot recently. I've been trying to get it to stop, but I don't really know how to do that."_

_"Have you tried love?" she asked, smirking slightly._

_Touma crinkled his nose. "Like a girlfriend?" he asked in disgust._

_Yumi laughed. "No, that's not exactly what I meant. I mean friendship-wise. All you really need is a little bit of affection from a friend or a family member."_

_"Well that sucks!" he exclaimed._

_The female tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Why does that suck?"_

_"I don't have any friends, and asking my mother to show affection is like asking a vegetarian to eat meat."_

_Yumi raised an eyebrow at him. "That was an unusual analogy." Touma shrugged and sighed to himself. "I don't know if this means anything coming from me, but I really like you. Maybe you could call that love?"_

_Touma thought for a moment before smiling. "Maybe," he chuckled. "Just barely though." He pinched his fingers together, leaving a little bit of space between the tips of his fingers, exaggerating his response._

_"I guess that's better than nothing," she sighed. Touma nodded and stuck his tongue out at her. Yumi laughed and shook her head at him. "You're a dork."_

**_Hey all! I meant to post this chappie a bit earlier, but I had a bit of a last minute notice for babysitting and I couldn't pass the offer up. At least I'm putting it up a day early. _**

**_A little bit of sad news. I don't know when the next chapter is going to be up. Hopefully, no longer than a week. I don't like the way it's turning out, so I have to start all over. Once I get it finished, I have to send it to my beta-reader and I don't know how long that will take, especially since she just started school again. I hope you guys can forgive me for this. I just want to make it the best that I can, and I also want to make it somewhat lengthy so you all can get a bunch of information from the chapter._**

**_Well, I don't have much time to say much else, because I gotta go to my great-grandma's b-day party. So, I'm just gonna get on with the thank yous for the reviews I got from last chapter. A special thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Kitsune Slave, Kina, RainBunnyBow, Cuzisme, AddictedtoBleach, Gaara-frenzy, Natsuki Death, Lela Rye, Me and Gaara 4ever, pizzaslices, and Yume Ninja._**

**_Thanks a million to all of you! Let me know what you thought about the chapter. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	18. Touma

**_Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for! I'm sorry about the wait, although I don't think at has been too long since my last update. Anyway, like planned, this is an intermission to what had happened in the previous chapter, and should give you all better insight on the Touma. _**

**_DISCLAIMER: Technically, I DO NOT OWN Touma or Seiji. They are two of my favorite characters from an old anime called Ronin Warriors. Although their personalities are a bit warped, they are based off of Touma and Seiji, aka Rowen and Sage. _**

**_So, without further ado, on with the chapter._**

* * *

Touma was in the bathroom with the door locked. He stood in front of the mirror looking at his reflection, but he was mostly concerned about the new bruise that adorned his face. It was a nasty mark and he was afraid that it was going to end up leaving a scar behind. Luck had been on his side in the sense that none of the bruises he had gotten on his face had left scars. This time, he wasn't so sure that he would be so lucky.

He lightly traced it over with his finger, wincing in pain. Why was stuff like this always happening to him? What did he ever do to the other kids to make them so hostile towards him?

Sighing to himself, he ran his hand through his thick blue locks. He would never understand why people act the way they do. It amazed him how Yumi was able to understand people in the ways that he didn't. She had told him that age had something to do with it, but he thought that there was more to it than just that.

Touma unlocked the bathroom door and walked out into the hallway. He stood in the doorway for a moment before heading up to his room. The teen plopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, getting lost in deep thought. There was going to be a new kid at school the next day. There had been talk about the new student all day throughout the different cliques. Touma usually tried to ignore everything these segregated groups said, since most of it was usually hateful or a load of crap. Today, however, he just couldn't help himself. He was kind of intrigued about the matter and was slightly curious.

The teen didn't know why he was so interested. Maybe he was hoping that he could befriend the new student, but he knew that it wouldn't end up that way. The new students were usually some kids who had gotten in trouble at their old school and had to transfer. They usually ended up joining one of the cliques, since they would practically blend in instantly, and typically helped them in making his life miserable. He knew that it was just going to be the same and that it was pointless to have such childish hopes. Still, he just couldn't help it. Touma didn't want to be all alone forever. He wanted friends, even if it was just one. All he wished was to be able to experience friendship, something he had always had trouble with forming.

Even though no one knew what to expect from the new kid this time around, he was certain that nothing would change.

**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Touma sat in his chair near the back of the classroom, reading a book while waiting for his first period class to start. One might think that he would sit in the front of the class, since that is usually where all the smart students sat. Even though he was smart, he didn't like sitting in the front because the teacher would be more likely to pick him to answer a question. The less questions answered by him, the better.

He peered up from his book as an unfamiliar student entered the class and handed a small note to the teacher. She looked it over for a moment and smiled at him. The two of them exchanged a few words before she pointed to a seat near the back of the class.

The boy slowly walked down the isle and took a seat in the desk next to Touma. He had golden blonde hair and icy blue eyes, along with a fair skin complexion. One eye was hidden behind his bangs, which had been feathered over that particular side of his face. Touma thought he looked like one of those pretty boys that have the preppy attitudes. He wasn't stereotyping the boy; he was just simply stating what he looked like. It wasn't the same as assuming that the person was part of a particular group or anything like that.

Ignoring any other thoughts, Touma returned to reading his book. Class wouldn't be starting for at least another five to ten minutes. He was always early since he didn't want to still be home when his mother woke up. Having nowhere else to go, he would just sit in the classroom and read a book until class started. His first period teacher was usually there by the time he showed up and she didn't mind him being there, so long as he was quiet.

"The Talisman, huh?"

Touma looked back up from his book and saw that the blonde was looking at him with his visible blue eye. He nodded, still looking at him.

"Is it any good?"

"I think so," he finally spoke. "I've already read it once, but I decided to read it again."

The blonde smiled. "I do that too, well, sometimes I do. It depends on how good the book is." Touma nodded again. "Oh, my name is Date Seiji by the way."

"Hashiba Touma," he replied.

The nervous teen smiled again and nodded. "It's nice to meet you Touma."

"Likewise," he sighed before sticking his nose back in his book. Seiji gave him a quizzical look.

_"Did I do something wrong?" _Seiji wondered to himself. _"I know I'm the new kid, but I didn't think it would be this bad."_ He sighed and looked down at the ground with sad eyes.

Touma saw the other boy's reaction from the corner of his eyes. He mentally slapped himself for being so cold towards Seiji. The teen didn't even do anything to him and he upset him. Why was he so bad at socializing with people? Was he that hopeless?

**XooooooooX**

The day slowly went by. Touma was given many chances to redeem himself from acting the way he did earlier that day. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to do it, especially since the girls swarmed Seiji like the vultures they were. Seiji seemed to be fine without his apology. He had probably already forgotten about the blue-haired teen anyway.

Touma ate in the library during lunch period. He didn't like eating in the cafeteria because he always seemed to find himself in the middle of some type of trouble. The librarian didn't seem to mind, since he was in there often, so he just ate there. He enjoyed the bit of solitude. Sometimes he wished he had someone to talk to, but he usually pushed that thought out of his head.

Sighing, he finished eating his lunch and threw any litter away. He looked around the library until the bell rang. Touma continued on with his day without much trouble. It was a bit surprising, since something usually happened to him before the end of the day. He was glad that nothing happened, for once.

The school day slowly came to an end. Touma packed all his homework into his backpack and zipped it up, putting the strap over his shoulder. He sighed to himself and shut his locker. The hallway was empty, which wasn't unusual. The blue-eyed teen was usually behind everyone else and liked waiting for the hallways to clear up before going to his locker. It helped decrease the amount of shoving and pushing that went on.

Suddenly, the teen was shoved from behind and was sent stumbling forward. He fell to his knees and looked over his shoulder, sighing inwardly. One of the school wrestlers stalked up to him, smirking wickedly.

"What do you want Ricky?" he mumbled, slowly getting to his feet. As soon as he was up, he was grabbed by the back of the neck and shoved up against one of the lockers. A small yelp accidentally escaped from his lips.

"Why didn't you let me copy off you in math class?" he asked nastily. Touma reached behind him to try and get Ricky off, but had no such luck.

"Let go, Ricky," he spat, elbowing the boy in the stomach. He felt his neck being released and he was about to make a run for it, but Ricky slammed him against the locker again. He pinned one of Touma's arms behind his back and pushed him over to one of the lockers. His eyes widened in fear as Ricky opened the locker door and shoved him inside. He gasped as the door was slammed shut and darkness enclosed around him. His body began to tremble and pounded frantically on the door.

"Ricky, you son-of-a-bitch!" he screamed, still pounding on the door. "Get me out of here!"

"I don't think so Hashiba," Ricky chuckled from the outside. "I'll see you in the morning."

Touma's body started shaking more than before. He had had claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces, since he was seven years old. It all happened because his mother had locked him in the closet of their apartment as punishment, but had forgotten about him and was away from the house for over 18 hours. Now it was all happening again, except it was with a school bully instead of his mother and he was in a locker, not a closet.

**XooooooooX**

Seiji walked out of the classroom and sighed to himself. He hated it when the girls swarmed around him like flies. It was annoying, especially since they always made him super self-conscious. He did his best to ignore them, but that wasn't enough to get rid of them.

The blonde stopped when he saw one of the upperclassmen shove someone in a locker. From what he could see, it was the blue-haired boy he had talked to during first period. Seiji watched as the bully shut the door and stood there for a few minutes. Finally, he turned away from the locker and simply walked away. Seiji couldn't believe that he would just leave that kid in there like that. He could hear the boy's pounding on the locker and his yelling for help.

Seiji rushed over to the locker and tried to open it, but it was locked. He sighed to himself and knocked on the locker door. "Touma, I'm going to help you," he called. "Quiet down for a minute so I can pick the lock."

The teen listened and immediately quieted down. Seiji put his ear against the door, near the lock. He could hear Touma's frantic breathing and could hear him shuffling around. Seiji did his best to ignore that and focused on breaking the locker's combination.

After about five minutes, Touma was panicking again. Luckily, Seiji broke the code before it got too out of hand. He quickly opened the door and the blue-haired teen came stumbling out, falling to his knees. Seiji stared at him with shock-filled eyes. There were tears streaming down the teen's face and his body was trembling uncontrollably. His face was pale and his eyes had a spaced out look in them.

Seiji hated seeing people upset. It always caused him to feel upset too. Touma hadn't deserved any of what had happened to him and he hated that upperclassman for what he did.

Not wanting to leave Touma in his current condition, Seiji knelt down beside the teen and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," he told him softly, managing a simple smile. "You're out now and it's all over."

Seiji's eyes widened when Touma suddenly wrapped his arms around him. If it had been under a different circumstance, Seiji would've shoved him away and probably wouldn't have ever spoken to him again. He hated having his personal space invaded, but it was a bit different this time around. It was obvious that Touma was extremely upset and needed some type of comforting.

Still feeling rather awkward, he hesitantly patted the boy on the back. Suddenly, just as quickly as it had happened, it ended. Touma looked at Seiji in embarrassment, his face painted a deep red. The blonde gave him a weird look and blushed slightly as well, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"I-I'm sorry a-about that," he stammered. Seiji nodded and smiled.

"Don't worry about it. You were upset, and rightfully so." Touma nodded and looked down at the ground with nervous eyes.

"Thanks for helping me, and I'm sorry about this morning." Seiji shook his head.

"It's alright. You don't hate me, do you?" Touma's eyes widened.

"Why would I? I don't even know you." The teen shrugged and smiled again.

"I don't know. I was just wondering." Seiji slowly got to his feet and helped Touma up as well. "Since you don't hate me, do you want to hang out sometime?" Touma shuffled his feet nervously for a moment, thinking the offer through. Finally, he answered with a simple nod. Seiji smiled, which caused Touma to smile as well.

"I should get going," Touma sighed.

"Do you have a phone number?" Seiji asked. The teen nodded. "Do you think I could have it so I could call you sometime? I'd give you mine, but I don't have it memorized yet." Touma nodded again and took out a black pen.

"You don't mind if I write it on your hand, do you?" Seiji shook his head and held his left hand out to him. Touma quickly wrote his number down and then put his pen away. "I'm not allowed to get any calls past ten. It's my mom's rule. I never got any phone calls, so it never mattered." Seiji chuckled and nodded.

"That's okay. My mom makes me go to bed at ten-thirty anyway." Touma smiled and nodded.

"Thanks again for helping me. I feel really embarrassed about what happened." Seiji shook his head.

"It's all right, really. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Touma. Take care."

"You too, Seiji."

**XooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooX**

"So how has your week been, Touma?" Yumi asked sweetly. The intelligent boy looked up from his homework and smiled weakly at her.

"It's been going well," he told her. Yumi gave him a weird look.

"Really?" she asked, slightly surprised. The reason she was slightly surprised was because he would always answer in the same way. He would always say something like, _"Miserable,"_ or _"Hasn't changed since the last time you asked."_ She quickly shook the shock away and smiled at him. "I'm glad, Touma. What has changed?"

Touma looked down at the floor with slight embarrassment, which made Yumi's smile grow even larger in size.

"I made a new friend," he told her softly. "His name is Seiji and we've been hanging out a lot this week."

"That's great, Touma. I'm really happy for you." The two were silent for a few moments. "So, how has things been going with your mother?"

Touma frowned and sighed. "Remember how I told you about my father just leaving us without saying anything?" Yumi nodded. "I think there's more to it than that. Every time I try to ask my mother about it, she snaps at me. She's a psycho, there's no doubt about it."

"Be nice, Touma. You shouldn't talk about your mother that way." Touma glared at her for a moment before turning away angrily.

"You never believe me when I tell you about her," he grumbled.

"I'm sorry," Yumi apologized. "What are your reasons for labeling her as a psycho?"

"Forget it. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

The female sighed and nodded. "Okay, Touma. I won't ask you about it anymore today." The teen looked down at the floor with sad eyes, twiddling his thumbs. After a few more moments went by, he went back to doing his homework and answering more of Yumi's questions.

**XooooooooooooooooooooooooX**

Touma was sitting at home, playing a video game on his computer. It was late Monday morning and the teen was free from school for the day. His mom was at work, which meant that he had the entire day to himself. He would be going over Seiji's house later that day, but for the time being he was just numbing his brain with mindless video games.

The phone rang and Touma sighed to himself. He paused the game and went into the kitchen, answering the phone on its third ring.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Touma, is that really you?!" The teen's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the phone. Tears began to well up in his eyes as the voice rolled through his head.

"F-father," he stammered.

"It's been so long. You have no idea how many times I've tried to call and you weren't home." Touma somehow found his voice and remembered his anger towards his father.

"I go to school, not that you would know. I doubt that you've really been calling anyway, since this is the first I've heard of it."

"Really? I've talked to your mother hundreds of times, and she said that she would tell you that I had called." Touma heard his father sigh.

"Why did you leave?" he finally asked. "Why wasn't I told anything?"

"My job required that I moved out here, but your mother didn't want to leave. We got into a big argument, Touma. Your mother finally had enough and told me to get out, so I did. I didn't think that it would end up this badly. If I knew that this would happen, then I would've never agreed to take the job."

Tears were slowly falling down Touma's cheeks and his breathing was short and irregular.

"M-mom said that you just packed your bags and left." He heard his father sigh again and could somehow tell that his father was frowning deeply.

"That's not what happened. It's true that my job means a lot to me, but so does my family. I would've given up the job for you two in a heartbeat, and I still would. Your mother told me not to bother."

"Why did you call?" he asked, twirling the phone chord around his index finger.

"I wanted to invite you to stay with me in California over your spring break, but I understand if you don't want to. You probably hate me now, and for a good reason. I really wouldn't blame you." Touma was silent, completely taken over by shock.

"You still there, Touma?" his father asked a couple minutes later.

"Y-Yeah," he answered. "I-I really don't know. This is all really confusing right now, so I don't know what to think anymore. I'm going to need some time to get this all sort out."

"Of course, I understand. I'll let you go now."

"Wait!" There was silence for a few moments.

"What's wrong, Touma?" The teen bit down on his bottom lip, trying to find the words.

"Umm… can we just talk for a while?" Before his father had left, Touma had always admired him. He had aspired to be just like him, since his father was a scientist. Touma liked science, especially astronomy, which was one of the things his dad had worked in.

"Of course we can," his father answered. The teen smiled slightly and the two slowly made conversation.

**XooooooooX**

Touma sat in his room, staring up at the ceiling with blank eyes. He had been on the phone with his dad for over two hours. The teen was torn away from the phone by someone knocking on his door and he suddenly remembered that he had made plans with Seiji.

After the long discussion with his father, he wasn't sure if he could hate him anymore. Even though his father had still abandoned him and his mother, he couldn't help but understand his father's reasoning behind it. Touma didn't know what to do anymore. He wanted to call Yumi, but he didn't think that it was that much of a need. The teen also debated on whether or not he should confront his mother. With the way that she had been acting lately, he wasn't sure whether it was a good idea or not. Plus, he still needed to think about whether or not he wanted to take his father up on his offer. It was rather tempting, but he was still a little unsure about it.

Touma decided that he would wait until he thought about the offer before telling his mother. He also wanted to wait until she was in a better mood. Telling her at the wrong time would end up making the woman snap and that was the last thing he wanted to happen. He loved his mother dearly and didn't want to upset her, but he also wished that she wasn't so easily flustered. The littlest thing could set her off, whether it was him not coming home right on time or him forgetting to do one of his chores. She had a very short temper and it was easily set off. Sometimes she could even turn violent. She really scared him sometimes.

**XooooooooX**

"I talked to my dad," Touma told Yumi the next week. The psychologist smiled at him, looking at him with interested eyes.

"So what happened between the two of you?" she asked. Touma smirked and looked down at the ground, deep in thought.

"He wants me to come all the way to California to stay with him over spring break," he told her softly.

"Are you going to?" The teen shook his head, uncertain of what he was going to do.

"I'm not sure. My mother probably wouldn't like it."

"Have you even told your mother yet?" Touma shook his head.

"I'm afraid that I'll make her angry."

"She might be a little upset, but I don't think she'd be that angry."

"I don't know," he sighed. "She has a very short temper, especially when it's about my father." Yumi looked at her client with concern filled eyes.

"If you want, I can be there with you when you tell her." Touma looked up at her and slowly shook his head.

"No, that's all right. I really appreciate it though. She'll probably only get more frustrated if someone else was there."

Yumi nodded. "I understand completely. If you do end up needing me for whatever reason, you know how to reach me. Please don't hesitate, okay?" Touma smiled weakly and nodded.

"Thank you, Yumi."

"Now, how is everything with Seiji going?" Touma grinned and chuckled lightly.

"Great actually. He taught me some kendo moves and is teaching me some self-defense moves that I can use against Ricky if he tries shoving me in a locker again."

Yumi smirked. "Just don't go getting yourself into trouble," she sighed. Touma laughed and nodded.

"Okay, I won't."

**XoooooooooX**

Despite what Touma had told Yumi, Seiji and he ended up in the principal's office three days later. Since his mother wasn't home and seeing as he had no one else to call, he had to call Yumi. Along with the two boys in the office were Ricky and two of his friends. Ricky had a busted lip and Touma was beginning to develop a black eye. Seiji and the other two boys were practically unharmed.

When Yumi came in, she did not look happy. She gave Touma a disappointed look and sighed.

"I thought you said that you weren't going to get into trouble." Touma shrugged and looked down at the ground with sad eyes.

"I didn't really have much of a choice," he murmured. Yumi heaved a deep sigh and nodded.

"I know, Touma. You're not the type to cause trouble, otherwise I would've had to talk to your principal a lot more than I have." With that being said, the principal came out and Yumi went into the small office to speak with him.

"Is that your mom?" Seiji asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. Touma shook his head and leaned in a little closer to his friend.

"She's my counselor," he whispered. Seiji backed away and gave him a weird look.

"Really?" he asked in shock. "I would have never guessed that you needed one."

"That's what she says too, but my mother insists that I do." Seiji nodded his head in understanding. "I really like visiting with her though. It's helped me a lot with everything that has been happening lately." Seiji nodded slightly.

"That's cool, I guess."

A few minutes later, Yumi came back out with the principal. "I'm taking you home Touma," she told him softly.

The teen nodded and looked at his blonde-haired friend. "I'll see you later." Seiji nodded and smirked at the boy.

Touma walked out with Yumi and she took him home. The whole ride there was rather quiet. It wasn't until they got to his house that he finally said something.

"Are you upset with me?" he asked, feeling kind of bad for having to drag Yumi into the mess he had gotten himself into.

The brunette shook her head and smiled at him. "No, I'm not Touma. Why should I be? You were just standing up for yourself, and I'm sure that you weren't the one who started the fight." Touma nodded sadly.

"Still, I feel bad about bothering you."

"It's alright. I wasn't doing anything important at the moment. I'm glad that you trusted me enough to call me though. It really shows your maturity." The teen blushed slightly and looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Thanks, I guess." Yumi giggled and nodded.

"Was that other boy sitting next to you Seiji?" she asked curiously. He nodded and smiled.

"I'd probably be a lot more roughed up if it hadn't been for him."

"I see. Well, I'm glad that you have made such a good friend. You really deserve it."

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Touma was packing his suitcase with all his clothes and with other things that he would need for the trip. It had been a month since his father had offered him to stay with him over spring break. After long consideration, he finally decided to accept the offer. He hadn't seen his father in over two years and even though he was still upset that he left him and his mother, he wanted to see him once more. It wasn't like his father meant to leave them all behind and never speak to them again. If it had been up to him, he wouldn't have left at all.

His mother was extremely upset when he told her everything. Touma had told her about the phone call he received a little over a week after receiving it. She was upset enough to hear that he had spoken to his father. Mrs. Hashiba was even more upset when Touma told her that he wanted to spend spring break over in California with him.

She claimed that Touma hated her and was trying to leave her, just like his father. No matter how hard he tried to reassure her that it wasn't permanent, he couldn't get it through to her. The woman just refused to believe in anything other than him wanting to leave her forever. Touma did want to leave forever, for he hated the way his mother treated him and even feared her at times. Still, she was his mother and he loved her all the same.

Mrs. Hashiba remained angry at him for the longest time. She hadn't even started talking to him again until a few days before he was supposed to leave. It was like she was trying to get him to change his mind, and he was well aware of it. She was suddenly extra nice to him, and he immediately knew that she would probably try to use it against him when the time for him to leave rolled around. In order to avoid that, he turned down any special treatment or offers that she made him.

The teen stopped his packing when he felt another presence in the room. He peeked over his shoulder and sighed when he saw his mother standing in the doorway. There was a look of pure hatred painted on her face that gave Touma the chills.

"Yumi will be here in about fifteen minutes," he reminded her. His mother was never home when he had his meetings with Yumi, but he was glad that she was today. The woman had agreed to be a mediator while he and his mom talked about his decision to go see his father.

Touma sighed to himself, pushed past his mother and walked out into the living room. He had hoped that the argument would wait until Yumi got there, but it didn't. Before he knew it, he and his mother were screaming at each other. Touma said some hateful words to her and immediately regretted them. He tried to approach his distraught mother to calm her down. She only tried to keep him away. The woman claimed that he hated her and that he was just going to end up never coming back.

Tears were pouring down his cheeks as he tried to convince her that he would only be gone for a week. The teen couldn't get her to believe him. Finally, he gave up, telling her to believe what she wanted to believe. He ended up finding out that he had made a terrible mistake by saying that. The woman grew violent, throwing things across the room and knocking things over. This always reminded Touma of a temper tantrum that a toddler would throw when the child didn't get his or her way. In this case, it was a woman who didn't have control over her emotions.

Touma sighed and tried cleaning up the mess that she left behind. This only made his mother more upset. She screamed at him some more, knocking the items out of his hands. Touma maintained a calm composure and would just bend over and pick the item up again, only to have it smacked out of his hands for a second time.

Finally, his mother had enough. Her face was flushed with anger and her frame was shaking slightly with frustration. She shoved him hard, sending the teen tripping over the footstool that she had knocked over earlier.

Touma felt himself falling backwards. He struck something before hitting the floor. There was a piercing pain in the back of his head. It felt as if it were on fire. He felt something warm and wet soaking his hair before darkness slowly consumed him.

* * *

**_Mwahaha! A bit of a cliffy, although you all might be able to predict what happens next. 0.o? Maybe._**

**_What did you guys think? I made this chapter especially long because I wanted to get in enugh detail, make it somehow relevant to upcoming events, and wanted to make sure you got a fare share for having to wait a bit longer for this one. I really hope you all liked it, and would love to hear all of your feedback. _**

**_A special thank you to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_RainBunnyBow, Gaara-frenzy, Me and Gaara 4ever, Kina, pizzaslices, Natsuki Death, Lela Rye, kitkat kezia, Cuzisme, Yume Ninja, Lighting Wings, AP-Rhapsody, and Dynasty Artemis._**

**_I hope you all liked this chapter as well, even though it was kind of sad. Please let me know what you thought about it. I really enjoy getting the lengthy comments and I give a extra special thank you to those of you who try to leave me lengthy ones. _**

**_School is coming up for me on Wednesday. TT So, I guess in "celebration" of my going back to school, I will post the next chapter on Tuesday. Also, because of school, and the fact that I'm taking two AP courses this year, I'm going to be limiting my posts to once a week. I won't have as much time to type chapters up, much less post them, so I'm going to have to limit myself. I'm really sorry, but I hope you guys can understand._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT!! THANKS!!_**


	19. Church and Visitation

_Yumi knocked on the door to Touma's home and casually let herself in. The Hashiba family was expecting her and she normally just let herself in any other time she had a meeting with her blue-haired client._

_As soon as she entered the house, she could hear the sound of a woman crying hysterically. The counselor was a bit disappointed that she couldn't arrive earlier to help prevent any disputes or hurt feelings. She was hoping that too much hadn't happened, but from the sound of it so far, it had._

_Sighing to herself, the twenty-five year old female slowly entered the living room, which was where the source of the noise seemed to be coming from. Yumi's eyes immediately widened with fear at the sight of Touma lying on the floor with a large puddle of blood surrounding his head. His body was motionless and his skin was pale, which was most likely caused from the loss of blood. He seemed to be unconscious, but Yumi feared that it was much worse than that._

_"M-mom," the boy whimpered weakly and painfully. He just barely opened his eyes for a moment, and blinked a few times. Tears were starting to roll down his cheeks as he tried calling for her again. "Mom."_

_Yumi rushed to her client, kneeling down beside him and taking his hand in hers. Touma looked at her with pain filled eyes, ache still pouring from them. The female took her cell phone out and quickly dialed 9-1-1. She told them about the situation and hung up, turning her attention back to the teen._

_"Stay awake, Touma," she told him softly, squeezing his hand tight. The teen whimpered, struggling to keep his eyes open._

_"Hurts…," he whimpered. The female nodded, wiping his tears away with her thumb._

_"I know, hun, I know. It will be all over soon, but you need to stay awake."_

_By the time the paramedics arrived, it was too late. The life had bled out of him and onto the floor. Touma was gone, and he took a piece of Yumi along with him. The female blamed herself for his death. He had told her many times that his mother had emotional problems by labeling her as psycho. Instead of listening to the boy, she had scolded him for talking rudely of his mother. If she would have just let him talk, he probably would have told her about the things his mother did. If she had known more about his mother's emotional problems, she would've been able to predict that something like this would've happened. There were so many things that she could've done, but hadn't. Now, it was too late to do anything._

**XooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooX**

Yumi gently shook Gaara, causing the pre-teen to wake. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes and blinked a few times. She smiled at him and brushed his bangs away from his face.

"It's time to get up," she told him softly. Gaara grumbled to himself as he slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "I laid your clothes out for you, but don't put them on until after breakfast."

"I'm not a little kid," he mumbled. "I don't need you picking my clothes out for me."

Yumi chuckled. "I know, but I wanted you to wear something nice." Gaara sighed and slowly got out of bed. He followed the older female out of the room and took a seat at the table. The two of them began to eat silently. Once again, Gaara only finished about half. Yumi gave him a weird look.

"What?" Gaara asked, looking at the female.

"I gave you less than I normally do, and you still didn't finish it."

The redhead shrugged. "If you're that concerned, I'll save it and eat the rest later."

Yumi sighed and finished eating. When she was done, she took her plate out to the kitchen. Gaara followed her and stuck his plate on the counter top.

"Where's the saran wrap?" he asked.

"You don't have to save it Gaara," she told him. "There's not much left anyway." The redhead sighed and nodded. He scraped the rest of his food into the garbage can and then placed his plate in the sink. "We can do the dishes when we get back. Go get ready, okay?"

Gaara went into his room and shut the door behind him. He looked at the clothes that Yumi had set out for him. Sighing to himself, he slowly took off his pajamas and changed into a pair of Khakis and a button down black shirt. He then went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, careful not to get toothpaste on his shirt. When he finished, he looked into the mirror and debated on whether or not he should try to run a comb through his hair. Deciding against it, he went out into the living room and sat on the couch until Yumi finished getting ready.

"Are you ready to go?" the female asked as she walked into the room. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a pink floral top. Gaara nodded and stood up. "You should probably tuck your shirt in," she told him.

The redhead narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't think so."

Yumi rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "Fine, it doesn't really matter. Let's go."

Gaara followed her out of the apartment and out to her car. He got into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt. As Yumi drove down the street, Gaara rested his head on the glass. The radio was playing a song that was much too familiar to him. He didn't remember its name, but he remembered his brother playing it several times on his CD player. Gaara closed his eyes tightly, digging his fingernails into the fabric of his pants. He liked the song and everything, but it was just too painful to listen to.

"Are you okay?" Yumi asked, looking at the redhead with slight concern. He slowly nodded but didn't open his eyes to look at her. Gaara finally opened his eyes once the song ended and watched the scenery fly by with boredom.

After they arrived at the church, Gaara followed Yumi inside and sat down beside her in one of the pews. He was extremely uncomfortable about the amount of people that were there. Yumi had chosen a seat near the back of the church, away from most of the people. That helped a little, but he still didn't like how it was crowded. Gaara looked around and saw that there were several people kneeling on the floor with their hands clasped together in front of them and their eyes closed.

"What are they doing?" Gaara asked, keeping his voice at a whisper. The brunette looked over at what he was talking about.

"They're praying," she told him, smiling slightly.

"Are we supposed to be praying too?"

"If you want to, you can. You can also pray while sitting down. Some people believe that you should be kneeling while others believe that it doesn't matter."

"What do you pray about?"

"A lot of different things. I pray about the things I'm thankful for; for the people I care about; for people I know that are going through different hardships. Stuff like that."

Just then, a man got up on the podium and the room began to quiet down. The man started talking and a few minutes later, everyone else began to respond in unison. Gaara looked up at Yumi, seeing her mouth the same words. The redhead shrank back in his seat, feeling like he was out of place. As he did so, everyone reached forward and took a black book that was on the shelf of the back of the pew in front of them. Yumi reached forward and took one of the tomes. She opened it up to a specific page number and held the book in between Gaara and herself.

"He's going to start reading here," she told him, pointing to one of the paragraphs. The redhead nodded and followed along as the man read out loud. When he finished reading, he began to explain what the scripture meant. This lasted for awhile. After that, there was some singing from the choir and then the man talked some more.

This went on for a good hour, most of the stuff going right over Gaara's head. He was thankful when it was finally over. Yumi slowly stood up and Gaara followed suit.

The brunette smiled as a man with long black hair and periwinkle blue eyes approached her. "How are you this morning, Hiashi-sama?" she asked politely. Gaara noticed two people around his age standing beside the man. On his left was a young female with short, blackish-purple hair. She stood nervously, twiddling her thumbs and looking down at the ground with uncertain eyes. Standing on the man's left was a boy with long brown hair, which was tied off at the end. He was almost the complete opposite of the female. The boy stood there emotionlessly, eyeing Gaara with bored eyes.

"I'm doing fine, Yumi-san," Hiashi answered. "I see you have brought someone along with you this time."

The brunette nodded. "This is Sabaku Gaara. I'm fostering him." Yumi looked down at the redhead for a moment. "Gaara, this is Hyuuga Hiashi, his daughter Hinata, and his nephew Neji."

Gaara nodded slightly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"We had better get going," Yumi sighed. "I wanted to stop by somewhere before I took Gaara home."

Hiashi nodded in understanding. "It was nice meeting you, Gaara-san."

**XxooooxX**

Yumi made a quick stop by the flower shop and bought a few daffodils. Gaara held onto the flowers until they arrived at a cemetery. The redhead followed the female along the path until they stopped in front of a tombstone. She took one of the flowers from Gaara and placed it on the grave.

"Who was that?" he asked curiously.

"His name was Touma, and he was one of my clients a little over two years ago."

Gaara's eyes softened as he looked at the tombstone.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Yumi bit her bottom lip before sighing. "There was a bit of an accident. His mother and he had relationship problems. She was suffering from some _'mental issues' _and just lost control one day. Long story short, she killed Touma."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly blinked and they returned to normal. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's all right," she assured him, forcing a smile to her face. "Come on, we have one more stop before we leave." Gaara nodded and followed her down the path again. When they came to a stop, the redhead's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at the two tombstones before him. He felt a lump in his throat and swallowed hard to get rid of it. The teen took a few shaky steps forward and slowly ran his hands over the smooth stones. He then bent over and placed a flower on each grave. Suddenly, he fell to his knees and his body trembled slightly. Tears began to slowly stream down his cheeks as he tangled his fingers in the green grass.

"I'm sorry, Gaara," Yumi sighed. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to bring you here so soon."

The pre-teen shook his head. "N-no," he stammered. "I-I appreciate you t-t-taking me h-here. I-It means a lot t-to me."

The female knelt down beside him and wrapped an arm around his almost bent form, pulling him close and gently rubbing his back. The boy allowed her to draw him to her and he rested his head against her chest.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked sweetly. Gaara nodded slightly and slowly let out a deep breath.

"I miss them," he whispered. "They were the closest thing I had to a friend."

Yumi hugged him tightly, running her fingers through his hair.

"I know you miss them, sweetheart, and I know that it's painful. There isn't much of anything I can do for you, but I can be there when you need someone to turn to. It's not much, but it's all I can really think of."

Gaara nodded, slowly pulling away from her. "Thank you Yumi." The female smiled weakly and nodded.

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

Later that day, Yumi and Gaara sat on the couch, watching a TV show.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Gaara asked with curiosity.

The brunette thought for a moment. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to be watching one of the neighbor's kids. At three thirty, I have an appointment. You can either tag along this time or you can stay with my neighbors, Iruka and Naruto."

"Who are you watching tomorrow?"

Yumi smiled slightly. "His name is Naruto. He's about your age I suppose. Anyway, he would be allowed to stay home alone, but the last time he did that he set the kitchen on fire while trying to cook ramen." Gaara smirked.

"Does…he know about me?"

Yumi shook her head. "I doubt it. But even if he did, Naruto isn't the type to judge someone so quickly. Who knows; maybe you two will become friends."

* * *

**_Hey all. Sorry about not posting yesterday. The stupid thing wouldn't let me log on. Anyway, here it is now. I'm keeping my little end note short because I got to go._**

**_Thanks to the following:_**

**_Me and Gaara 4ever, Gaara-frenzy, kitkat kezia, Yume Ninja, pizzaslices, NeferNeferi, Natsuki Death, Dynasty Artemis, Lighting Wings, Sorami-san, and Cuzisme._**

**_Thanks again to all of you and a special thanks to those of you who posted a very long and thoughtful review. Next chapter will be up next Friday. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**


	20. A New Friend

Naruto sat at the dining room table, slowly eating his cold cereal. Every now and then, he would glare at the brown haired man sitting across the table from him. Iruka just ignored the pre-teen's behavior at first, trying to focus on reading the morning paper. After a while, though, it began to get annoying.

"Why do you keep giving me those looks, Naruto?" he asked, setting his newspaper down.

"How come I still need a babysitter?" he pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm almost thirteen and you're still treating me like a baby."

Iruka smirked, chuckling slightly. "If I really treated you like a baby, I wouldn't let you out of my sight. I would have probably let you stay home alone, if you hadn't almost set the kitchen on fire." Naruto smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"That was only one time, and it was an accident!"

"I know, but I'd feel much more comfortable if you were to stay at Yumi's today."

"You owe me," the blonde grumbled, slouching back in his chair.

Iruka smirked. "I thought you would've been excited about having the opportunity to make a new friend."

Naruto looked up at him, giving him a weird look. "What are you talking about? Yumi is like 15 years older than me! I highly doubt that we have anything in common."

The older man sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "I'm not talking about Yumi; I'm talking about the boy she's fostering."

Naruto's eyes widened with surprise. "There's a kid living with her?!" he asked in shock. Iruka rolled his eyes at the blonde and nodded. "Since when? Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?!"

"Naruto, I told you that Yumi was going to be fostering someone over a week ago. On top of that, I reminded you about it on Friday."

The blonde blinked a few times and looked blankly at his adoptive parent. "I don't remember you telling me anything."

"That's because you never pay attention," he sighed.

The two males went silent and Naruto went back to eating his cereal, which was now soggy from being left in the milk for too long. When he finished, he put the spoon down and lifted the rim of the bowl to his lips, drinking the rest of the milk. He then set the bowl down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"So… what is his name?" Naruto asked with curiosity. "Is he my age?"

Iruka smirked and chuckled at the boy. "I'm not really sure, Naruto. You're going to have to find out when you go over there."

"You don't even know his name?" he asked.

"I think Yumi said his name was Gaara, but I'm not entirely sure. It was a very short conversation and I haven't talked to her since." The blonde nodded, content with the answer he had received. "If you're done with breakfast, clean up your mess and get ready to go. I have to leave in twenty minutes, and I don't want to be late."

Naruto hopped down from his seat and took his empty bowl into the kitchen, which he then stuck in the dishwasher. After he put away the cereal and milk, he went to his room to get dressed. He changed into a pair of black Khaki shorts and a dark blue t-shirt with a bright orange chameleon decorated on the front. Naruto tried to run a comb through his unruly blonde hair, but in the end, it made no difference. He might as well have just left it the way it was before.

Sighing to himself, he took a small knapsack out of his closet and set it down on his bed. He shoved a few comic books into it, along with a handheld game and a few game cartridges. Satisfied with everything, he closed the bag up and tossed it over his shoulder. He walked out into the living room and plopped down on the couch, waiting impatiently for Iruka to finish whatever it was that he was doing. When the older man finally did come out, Naruto jumped up from his seat and followed Iruka out the door.

Iruka knocked on Yumi's door and Naruto waited quietly beside him. The man smiled at the female as she opened the door and smiled back at him.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought him over a little early today," Iruka told her sheepishly.

Yumi shook her head. "That's all right. I don't mind at all." She looked down at the blonde-haired boy and smirked, inviting him in.

"I'll be back to pick him up around two," Iruka informed her as Naruto stepped into her apartment.

The brunette smiled and nodded. "Oh, Iruka, can I ask you a favor as well?" The man nodded. "I have an appointment today at three-thirty and I'd really hate to have to drag Gaara along. If he's all right with it, would you mind watching him for an hour? I don't feel comfortable leaving him home alone so soon."

Iruka nodded again. "Of course, that's no problem at all."

Yumi thanked him and watched as he turned to leave before shutting the door. She looked down and saw that Naruto was still standing beside her. The brunette smiled and led Naruto out to the living room, where he found a boy with blood-red hair sitting on the couch. His eyes met with the boy's sea-green ones and he stared for a moment before blinking and looking down at the ground.

"Naruto, this is Gaara," she introduced. "Gaara, this is Naruto. He lives right across the hall with Iruka." The redhead nodded, doing his best to avoid eye contact with the other pre-teen. "I have to go catch up on laundry, so I'm going to be downstairs for a few minutes. If either of you two needs me, that's where I'll be." The two boys watched as Yumi went into her room and grabbed a basket before leaving the apartment.

Naruto nervously sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and looked down at the ground with uncertain eyes. An awkward silence enveloped the two boys, causing them to shift around uncomfortably in their seats.

"So… when did you move in here?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

Gaara glanced up at the blonde, but still avoided eye contact. "I've been here since Friday," he answered softly.

Naruto chewed on his bottom lip, trying to come up with something else to say. "How do you like it here so far?" Usually, Naruto wasn't so hesitant or nervous about making conversation, even around new people. He would just chatter away mindlessly, which would sometimes backfire on him. This time, however, was a little different. There was just something about that redhead that caused him to be more mindful. He had a slightly uncomfortable feeling about the boy, but he didn't want to turn his back to him just yet. People had done that to him in the past and never even bothered to get to know him first. Naruto didn't want to become like that, so he tried to get to know the person before he decided anything.

"I guess it's all right," Gaara sighed. "It's better than the last place…" The redhead stopped himself, knowing he shouldn't have said anything else.

Naruto tilted his head to the side with curiosity. "Where were you before this?" Gaara looked down at the floor with pain-filled eyes. Upon seeing this reaction, the blonde realized that he had asked a stupid question. He should've known that he wouldn't want to talk about it.

"I'm sorry," the blonde apologized. "That's probably something you don't want to talk about, especially with someone you just met. I can be dense about stuff like that, or at least that's what Sakura's always telling me."

The redhead finally made eye contact with the other boy. His eyes were a deep blue and seemed to be filled with life and sincerity. There was something else there too, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"It's okay," he replied, accepting the boy's apology. "How long have you been living here?"

Naruto smiled as certain memories were brought to the surface. "I moved in with Iruka last year during the spring, so I guess I've been here for a little over a year. It's a very interesting place, and I think you'll like it here. So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Once again, Gaara wasn't really sure how to reply. There wasn't much for him to do while he was in the institute. He practically enjoyed anything that helped the time pass by faster. It didn't even have to be something that was considered fun. When you're locked up in your room 24/7 for two years with practically nothing to do, you're satisfied with just about anything to pass the time.

"Different things," he answered simply.

"What kind of things?" Naruto asked, quirking an eyebrow at the redhead.

Gaara sighed in slight frustration. Why did everything have to be so difficult? "I like playing checkers and cards; drawing and painting; logic puzzles; reading; stuff like that."

"You don't like to play any sports, or hang out with friends?"

The redhead narrowed his eyes at the other boy. "I haven't gotten the chance to play any sports in a while and I don't have any friends."

Naruto's eyes softened as sad memories of his own past filled his mind. The blonde knew what it was like not to have any friends. Up until recently, he hadn't had any friends at all. While he lived at the orphanage before Iruka had adopted him, he was shunned by all the other children, although he didn't know why. Naruto still didn't know why everyone had turned their backs on him. He didn't remember ever doing something to make people hate him. For some unknown reason, they just did, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I didn't have any friends until I moved here," the blonde told him, keeping his voice low. He looked down at the ground in discomfort. He didn't like remembering the past. It was painful and it made him feel empty inside. "I have always been shunned by everyone for as long as I can remember. But after I came here, I was finally able to find people who accepted me." Naruto stopped and looked up at Gaara, smiling weakly at him. "I hope that you are able to find friends here too."

Gaara blinked at him, not knowing what to think. He couldn't believe that the blonde used to be alone, just like him. Hearing those words from someone like him gave Gaara a little bit of hope, which was something he didn't have very much of. He wanted to believe in Naruto's words, to believe that everything would turn out all right just like it did for him.

Just then, Yumi came back into the apartment with a basket full of clean laundry. She kicked the door closed with her foot and smiled at the two boys as she walked by.

"Has either of you two even moved from your positions?" she asked, chuckling slightly.

Naruto grinned. "I was just talking to my new friend," he beamed, "although he doesn't really say much back to me." Gaara looked at the pre-teen with slight shock, surprised that he had actually been referred to as his friend.

"Yeah, he's kind of shy around other people," Yumi told him.

"I could see that," Naruto chuckled. Gaara shrank back in his seat a little bit, feeling slightly embarrassed about his lack of contribution. He watched as Yumi went into her room to fold the clothes.

"You _do_ want to be friends, right?" Gaara looked back up at Naruto, his eyes widening even more. Naruto chuckled and grinned happily. "I mean, if you don't want to, that's okay too, but I think it would be cool if we could be friends."

Gaara stared at the other pre-teen for a few more moments before finally nodding his head. "I would really like that," he answered softly. Naruto chuckled and scooted a little closer to the redhead.

"Great! Then you are now officially my friend!"

* * *

**_Hey all! Well, here you are. What did you all think? Was it believable enough?_**

**_Special thank you to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_Gaara-frenzy, kitkat kezia, Lighting Wings, Cuzisme, Me and Gaara 4ever, Lela Rye, AP-Rhapsody, pizza slices, RainBunnyBow, and Sorami-san. (Also, thanks to GaaraxShukakuIScute, whom reviewed on chapter 11 and whom i got this idea from)_**

**_An even specialer thanks to those of you who made sure to leave me lengthy reviews. It was much appreciated._**

**_The next chapter will be up some time next week between Friday and Saturday. I haven't finished typing it up yet because I have been busier than expected. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	21. Family

Gaara and Naruto had been friends for a few days, although they hadn't been able to hang out much. On top of that, they wouldn't be able to hang out for at least another three or four days because Yumi and he were going out to her brother's house. The female had already talked to her younger brother, Ryuu, about it. He was ecstatic to hear that Yumi was fostering and was more than willing to let the two of them stay there for a few days.

Gaara was sitting on the hyperactive blonde's bed, watching him play a video game that he had never played before. Naruto had offered him a turn several times already, but Gaara declined each time. He was just as content with watching Naruto play, which was actually very entertaining, especially because he was very dramatic.

"So you're leaving tomorrow, right?" Naruto asked, his eyes still glued to the TV screen. Gaara didn't like it when he didn't have eye contact during a conversation. It made him nervous when he couldn't see into the other person's eyes or see their face clearly. Even though it really bothered him, he chose not to say anything. He didn't want to upset the first friend he had ever really made. Gaara was still unsure of whether or not they were truly friends, since he still didn't fully understand the concept, but he liked the sound of it. Just the thought that he actually had a friend his age made him feel somewhat completed.

"Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow," the soft-spoken male murmured. Naruto nodded, still not taking his eyes off the TV. Gaara watched as he sliced a zombie in half. He shuddered involuntarily as he imagined blood gushing out of the fictional game character. Naruto had turned off the bloody effects in the options menu since Gaara had asked him to. Normally, he wouldn't have done it without some kind of explanation, but he could tell that his newly made friend didn't feel comfortable with explaining. Gaara really appreciated the fact that he wasn't pushed about the subject, which was one of the reasons he really liked having the blond as a friend.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Naruto's deep blue eyes widened as a large gang of zombies swarmed his character. Gaara smirked slightly as his friend began bouncing frantically up and down on the bed. Naruto sighed angrily as the zombies devoured his character and big red letters reading, "GAME OVER" appeared on the screen.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Between two or three days, I guess." Naruto finally looked him in the eyes, which made Gaara feel a bit more at ease somehow.

"Do you think that you'll be back before the weekend?" Gaara nodded and Naruto smiled. "Great, because I don't really have anything planned for then, so _we_ could do something. Maybe we could kick a soccer ball around. Do you like soccer?" The shy teen blinked his sea-foam green eyes and shrugged.

"I don't know. I've never played before."

"You haven't?!" Naruto asked in shock. Gaara shook his head. "Then we are definitely going to play some soccer before the summer is over."

"Fine with me," he sighed.

"Awesome! Oh, and you're going to have to meet my friends. They're always busy during the summer, so if we don't see them now, we'll see them when school starts up again. You are going to go to school here, right?" Once again, the redhead shrugged.

"I guess so." Naruto stared at him for a couple moments before starting to jabber on once more.

"Well, either way, I'll make sure that you meet them." Gaara just nodded and listened to the blonde chatter away about an endless amount of random things.

**XxxxxxxxxX**

Gaara was standing by the car, watching in slight awkwardness as Yumi and her brother hugged each other tightly. Sea-green eyes watched blankly as the man kissed the female on the cheek. To say the least, he felt completely out of place there. He shouldn't have really been there at all, since he wasn't really an actual member of the family.

Ryuu slowly walked away from his sister and approached the pre-teen. A warm smile spread across his lips as he held out a hand to Gaara.

"It's nice to finally meet you," he said happily. The redhead took hold of his hand firmly and shook it. "Yumi has told me quite a bit about you and I'm glad to be able to meet you in person." Gaara nodded.

"It's nice to meet you too," he replied in his usual hushed voice.

Ryuu took their bags for them and led them into his home. The house was a decent sized two story home. On the inside, the walls were painted with earthy colors and the furniture was earth colored as well. There were several vases of flowers as well as potted plants in the windowsills. Hanging on the walls were pictures of people, whom Gaara assumed were members of their family.

They were met by a woman holding a small bundle of life in her arms. She grinned brightly, her blue-green eyes sparkling vibrantly. Her eyes went from Yumi to Gaara and her smile widened, if that was even possible.

"You must be Gaara," she said sweetly. The young boy nodded, watching as she carefully gave the baby to Yumi. She then walked up to him and bent over slightly so that she could meet him in height.

"I'm Jenna," she introduced herself. "You have no idea how happy Ryuu and I are to have you here." Gaara's eyes widened immensely as the female suddenly brought him into an embrace. His body stiffened and he suddenly felt rather confused. Why was this woman hugging him? She barely even knew him, yet she was showing him affection.

To his relief, she let go a couple of seconds later. He saw that Yumi was looking over at him with a smirk plastered on her face. Was she really getting amusement out of watching him being uncomfortable around others?

"Let's go have a seat in the living room, shall we?" Jenna suggested. Yumi nodded and followed her into the living room, Gaara tagging along behind.

He sat beside Yumi on the couch, watching the baby that his foster parent was cradling. The two females talked to each other, sometimes breaking out into small fits of laughter. Gaara didn't really pay attention to what they were talking about. His main focus was on the small infant. The baby was gripping onto the blanket that was wrapped around her and was suckling on a yellow pacifier. He could hear the quiet noise she was making as she suckled, and occasionally heard her make a small grunt.

"Gaara…" The teen was jerked back to reality and he looked up at Yumi with questioning eyes. Yumi was smiling at him, and so was Jenna.

"Do you want to hold Hailey, Gaara?" Jenna asked, smiling even more. His eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "Why not?"

"I… I don't know how…," he admitted softly, looking down at the ground with sad eyes. Gaara gasped when he felt a sudden addition of weight on his lap. Looking up, he saw Yumi gently transferring the baby over to him. She repositioned his arm slightly so the infant's head would be resting in the crook of his elbow and so that he would still be holding onto her.

Gaara looked down at Hailey with quizzical eyes. The young infant looked right back up at him, her eyes glued to his. She then spit her pacifier out and it fell onto the couch. Her eyes stared at him intensely and Gaara found that he couldn't help but smile slightly at her.

Hailey cooed, bringing her fingers to her mouth and sucking on them. Gaara continued holding the small child while Yumi and Jenna talked with each other. Once again, he toned their voices out. He could feel the infant squirming around slightly in his arms.

"Hey, Gaara," a voice said gently. Gaara looked up and saw that Ryuu was standing right in front of him. He blinked his sea-green eyes, staring at the man before him. "Do you want to help me make dinner?" Gaara thought for a moment before nodding. Yumi took the small infant back from him and the redhead slowly stood up.

He followed the taller man into the kitchen and they both washed their hands. Silently, they prepared dinner. Gaara rinsed the vegetables while Ryuu chopped them up for a salad.

"Yumi told me about your past," Ryuu eventually confessed. Gaara winced upon hearing this, afraid of what he thought about him now. He did his best not to show his worry, though, and continued to wash the vegetables. "It sounds like you've come a long way. I really admire your strength." The redhead nodded slightly.

"I don't really like thinking about the past," Gaara said softly.

"I'm sorry; I won't bring it up again. So, how do you like living with my sister so far?"

"It's different, but I like it," he answered.

"I could tell that you were a bit intimidated earlier." Gaara sighed and turned off the water, drying his hands off on the dish towel.

"I don't really belong here. All I'm doing is intruding in on you guys." The pre-teen cringed when he felt someone lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You're not intruding on us, Gaara," Ryuu assured him gently. Gaara looked up at him with blank eyes and saw the man smiling brightly. "We'll always consider you a member of the family." Gaara bit his bottom lip and looked down at the ground with uncertainty.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Ryuu chuckled slightly.

"It's probably not worth anything coming from me, but Yumi really cares about you a lot. She thinks of you as family, and if she thinks of you that way, then I'll do the same. Even though we don't really know each other that well, I have a very good impression of you." Gaara attempted to smile, but it didn't work out so well. He was happy to hear that people were willing to give him a chance though.

**XxxxxxxxxX**

A bored pre-teen stared out the car window, listening to the radio as he and his foster parent headed home. Every now and then, he would catch Yumi glancing over at him with a smirk plastered on her face.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" he finally asked, sounding slightly agitated. The female laughed slightly.

"You really liked Hailey, didn't you?" she asked, giving him a curious look. Gaara looked down, slightly embarrassed.

"So what if I did?" Yumi shook her head.

"It's nothing. I just thought it was cute the way you two bonded."

The atmosphere in the car went back to being silent, except for the sound of the radio in the background. The pre-teen rested his head against the glass window, mulling over something in his mind.

"Yumi," he began. The woman gave him her attention. "Do you really think of me as part of your family?" Yumi gave him a surprised look, which made him feel even more insecure than what he already was.

"Of course I do, Gaara!" she chirped, sounding rather happy about it. "I've always thought of you as being very close to me, and now I think of you as being even closer." The passenger smiled ever so slightly, looking out the window with thoughtfulness showing in his eyes.

"Yumi, thanks for everything," Gaara said softly. Yumi smiled and chuckled softly to herself.

"You've already thanked me enough, hun. Really, it's all right." Gaara nodded and continued staring out the window.

* * *

**_So what did you guys think? I didn't like this chapter as much, but who knows, maybe you guys will love it. Please let me know what your thoughts are because it really does help me out._**

**_A special thanks to the following reviewers who reviewed last chapter:_**

**_kitkat kezia, Sorami-san, Gaara-frenzy Natsuki Death, pizzaslices, Yume Ninja, Kitsune Slave, Cuzisme, Lela Rye, Lighting Wings, RainBunnyBow, and Bree._**

**_Thank you all for your comments. As always, I really appreciate them. I'm also happy because most of the reviews were on the longer side, which is awesome and makes me feel oh-so-wonderful._**

**_If you haven't already noticed, I now have 200 reviews for this story. Because of this awesomeness, even though I already started chapter 22, I'm going to start it over and make a special twist to it. 0.0 Hopefully, it will turn out right. _**

**_Hopefully, the chapter will be up sometime next weekend. If not, I'm extremely sorry. My ideas aren't coming as freely as they used to and require me to do more thinking._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	22. Always Watching Over You

Two transparent figures stood in the small room as the sun began to rise higher into the sky, sending light pouring in through the windows. One figure was leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was dressed in jeans and a hoodie sweat-shirt. There were strange markings over his face from the temporary tattoo he had gotten before his death.

The twelve-year-old boy's eyes were focused on the female figure, watching her closely. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down solemnly at the sleeping boy they had been keeping an eye on. The thirteen-year-old girl was wearing a short dress and a pair of striped stockings. Her light colored hair was pulled up into four pigtails, two up high and the other two closer to her neck.

A non-existent hand reached out toward the red-haired boy that was sleeping peacefully beneath his covers. The female's face was masked with sadness and her eyes showed a deep desire. She caressed the boy's cheek, even though she knew that he wouldn't be able to feel it. She didn't care if he couldn't feel it or not. It helped her with knowing that he was alive.

The boy had been in a completely different environment for the last week and the thirteen-year-old was happy to see that he was adjusting rather nicely. He had been basically locked up for the past two years, being mistreated and isolated from everyone and everything. She had been so upset for him because of where he'd been and for why he'd been there in the first place. The other diaphanous figure had been extremely upset about the boy's condition as well. He had wanted to help the redhead, but of course, there was nothing that he could've done.

"It's nice to see that Gaara isn't having another nightmare," the female spoke in a voice that only the other figure could hear. It wasn't that she was speaking softly or anything. Her voice was non-existent, just like the rest of her.

"Yeah, that is a relief," he replied, still not moving from his position. "Tem, we need to get going."

Temari looked up at her younger brother and then back down at Gaara. He had grown a bit over the last two years. Kankurou and she had stopped aging after their death and so their spirits resembled what they looked like back then. Gaara was twelve years old, the same age Kankurou was when he passed over to the spirit world.

The thirteen-year-old leaned over and gently kissed her brother's forehead. Gaara didn't move or even respond to the contact of her lips to his skin. He didn't feel it, which Temari already knew would happen. She was already fully aware of him not being able to see, feel, or hear her, and she had gotten used to the fact.

Temari slowly stood up and walked over to where her other brother was standing. Kankurou straightened up and unfolded his arms, looking at his sister with slight concern.

"Are you gonna be all right?" he asked softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Temari forced a smile to her face and nodded.

"Of course I'll be fine. We'll be seeing him again later, so I'll be okay until then." He smiled slightly and nodded, wrapping an arm around his older sister. It was obvious that she was sad, but she was doing her best to pull through and stay positive.

The two deceased siblings took one last glance at their younger brother before slowly disappearing into nothingness.

Gaara woke up a few hours later, completely unaware of the spirits that had paid him a visit, like they did every morning. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. After a few minutes, he brought his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. Gaara quickly got dressed and went out into the dining room to eat a quick breakfast. After breakfast, he brushed his teeth and went over to Naruto's apartment.

The blonde answered the door and grinned at his friend. In his arms was a soccer ball and on his back was a small knapsack. Naruto was wearing a black pair of knee length basketball shorts that had a dark orange stripe going down the sides. His shirt was a sleeveless dark orange one. Gaara was wearing a pair of camouflage knee length shorts and a plain black t-shirt. Both pre-teens were wearing a pair of gym shoes since they were going to be kicking a soccer ball around.

Naruto stepped out of his apartment and closed the door behind him. "Let's go!" he chirped happily. Gaara nodded and followed his enthusiastic friend down the hallway. The blue-eyed boy scampered down the stairs and ran out the door. Gaara followed behind him but at a slower pace. He wasn't as high in energy as his friend and he was pretty sure that there was no one that could match his level. Naruto was waiting on the sidewalk and Gaara walked over to him.

"You're slow," Naruto grumbled as they started walking down the street.

"I'm not slow," Gaara argued. "You're too energetic and quick paced." The pre-teen rolled his eyes at him, chuckling softly.

After about five minutes, the two of them finally made it to the park, not even noticing a pair of transparent figures standing by one of the oak trees. Naruto dropped the soccer ball down on the ground and told Gaara to get some distance between them, which he did. The ball was kicked to him and he stopped the ball with his chest and it dropped down to the ground. He waited for it to stop moving before he kicked the ball, sending it rolling over the ground at a fast speed.

The two friends passed the ball back and forth to each other for quite awhile. Gaara kicked the ball back toward Naruto again, but this time the ball was launched into the air and went sailing above the his head. The soccer ball passed right through one of the ghostly figures and kept on sailing until it connected with the back of someone's head.

The soccer ball had passed straight through Temari's stomach. She was furious and Kankurou was leaning against the tree, laughing at what had happened to her. Temari glared at him but that didn't make his laughter subside.

"It's your fault for standing out in the open like that," he chuckled. The female stuck her tongue out at him and folded her arms over her chest, pouting slightly. She and her brother watched as Gaara and his friend went running after the ball. Her eyes widened as they ran right through her. Kankurou began cracking up even more as Temari stared after them. She could hear her brother still cracking up in the background and she turned toward him, absolutely furious.

"Shut the hell up!" she snapped. Kankurou slowly quieted down and grinned at his sister. "You're unbelievable!"

"I know," he agreed with a smirk. He looked over at where Gaara and the other boy were and frowned. They were standing in front of three older guys, and the trio did not look happy.

"Come on, Tem," he told his sister, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her along behind him. "It looks like Gaara got himself into some trouble."

Temari and Kankurou stood by another tree and watched as the scene unfolded before them. The tallest and probably the oldest of the three teens was holding the soccer ball in his hand.

"Which one of you little brats hit me in the head with this?" he asked, holding the soccer ball up and looking angrily at both of the pre-teens. The man had a bunch of scars all over his face, which intimidated the boys slightly.

"We're really sorry about that," Naruto apologized, not wanting to get into a fight. "If we can just get our ball back, we'll be leaving so you don't have to deal with us anymore." Naruto gasped as the teen dropped the ball and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"Shigure, just leave him alone," the shortest of the three sighed. "He's not worth our time." Shigure growled, gripping onto Naruto's shirt even tighter.

The teen felt something tug on his shirt hard and then a fist connected to his face. Naruto was released and the boy fell down on his bottom. Shigure glared at the person who had socked him and saw that it was the red-haired boy.

"You are so dead, squirt," he growled, lunging for Gaara. Kankurou smirked when he saw his brother use one of the wrestling moves he used to use on him. It caused him to remember all the little quarrels that he and his baby brother used to have. Gaara was usually the loser, but only because Kankurou knew how to use his small size against him. Eventually, Gaara learned how to use his shortness as an advantage and could therefore match Kankurou's skill.

Gaara had the teen pinned to the ground with his hand behind his back.

"Don't you dare mess with us again," Gaara hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "Next time, I won't hesitate in breaking your arm, or worse." With that, he got off of Shigure and started walking out of the park. Naruto snatched his ball up and went running after his friend.

"What in the hell was that?!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at his friend in shock. "One minute you're all like chilled, and then the next you're like _RAWR_! What in the hell was that?!"

Gaara looked down at the ground in embarrassment and continued walking. "It was nothing," he told him in his normal hushed voice.

"How can you say that was nothing!? You looked like you were about to friggin snap his neck!!" Gaara winced slightly and sighed.

"Naruto, please, I really don't want to talk about that." The blonde sighed in frustration, but nodded.

"Fine, be that way. I tell you everything about me, but you don't tell me anything." Naruto took off running down the street, leaving a confused redhead behind to stare at him with sad eyes.

Temari and Kankurou followed their baby brother home, noticing the sad aura that was around him. Temari wanted to give him a hug, and had tried to, but she just passed straight through him.

"Why is he so depressed all of a sudden?" Temari asked in confusion.

"I think his blonde friend got angry at him for something," Kankurou answered. "I'm not really sure what it was about though."

"I hate seeing him feeling so down like this," she sighed. Kankurou nodded in agreement.

The two spirits watched as Gaara walked into the apartment complex and into Yumi's residence. His foster parent looked at him in surprise as he walked past her and into his room.

"You're back…." _SLAM! _"Early…" Yumi sighed when she saw that Gaara's door was shut and possibly locked. She knew that something was wrong.

The depressed boy heard soft knocking on his door and watched as the handle slowly turned. The female entered the room and sat down on the bed as Gaara looked away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at him with deep concern. The boy slowly made eye contact with her, his eyes glistening with sadness.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be my counselor while you're my foster parent," he muttered. Yumi smiled slightly and chuckled.

"It's technically not counseling," she told him. "Now come on, I know something is bugging you. Just come out with it." He slowly pulled a leg to his chest, resting his chin on his knee. His eyes were filled with sadness and he felt extremely depressed.

"I think Naruto hates me now," he whimpered. Yumi gave him a confused look.

"Now why would he hate you?"

"I'm hiding things from him, and… I kinda had a small outburst at the park. Naruto said that it seemed like I wasn't myself and I couldn't tell him anything."

"Gaara, you do know that you're allowed to tell him about yourself. If you want to tell him what happened to you, then you can." The young boy brought his other leg to his chest, hugging onto both knees tightly.

"As soon as I tell him, he's going to hate me all over again."

"But Gaara, you were there unjustly."

"I was there for a reason. You saw how I acted."

"Yes, I saw, but you're a lot better now. You've got to give Naruto more credit than that." Gaara buried his face in his knees and shook his head.

"I just want to be alone for awhile," he whispered.

"Okay, Gaara," Yumi sighed. She ruffled her friend's hair as she stood up and left him alone.

* * *

**_Chapter 22, finally completed. Yay!! So if you haven't figured it out already, my little "twist" was putting the spirits of Temari and Kankurou in here. I mean, just because they're dead doesn't mean that they can't still have a part in the story. What did you guys think about it?_**

**_A special thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_Natsuki Death, Gaara-frenzy, Akasuna no Akane, Yume Ninja, Bree, Hinata11235, Cuzisme, Lighting Wings, pizzaslices, Lela Rye, and Sakamoto Michiko._**

**_Thanks a bunch you guys._**

**_Chapter 23 will be up next Friday. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	23. Sickness

Yumi woke up, hearing the sound of rain beating against her window. The woman lay in her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The clock on the wall read 11:00 a.m.

"I slept in this late?" she mumbled questioningly to herself, slowly getting out of bed. Yumi stretched her arms toward the ceiling, yawning softly. She lazily walked out into the living room and was surprised to find that Gaara wasn't out yet. The woman went to Gaara's room and knocked on his door before entering. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw that he wasn't there either. The bathroom door was wide open and no one was inside.

"Gaara!" the female called out, starting to get worried. There was no answer. "Gaara, where are you?!" There was still no response.

Suddenly a flash of lightning lit up the sky and Yumi saw a shadow on the outside the window. She slowly made her way to the glass and saw that Gaara was standing out on the fire escape, looking up at the sky. The rain was pounding against his face and was causing his clothes and hair to stick to his skin. She couldn't tell completely, but she thought that she saw his body shaking, most likely from being cold.

She opened the large window and the sound caused the redhead to jump slightly. He turned his head to look at her and the woman could tell that he had been crying.

"Why are you out in the rain, Gaara?" Yumi asked softly. She was angry at him for scaring her like that, but she knew better than to start hollering at him. Gaara wasn't the type of person to do something without a reason.

"I... I h-haven't seen the r-rain in over t-two years," he explained, his voice trembling slightly. "I w-wanted t-t-to remember h-how it f-felt on m-my skin." Yumi smiled and nodded.

"Next time, just go into the shower and turn the water on cold." Gaara chuckled slightly and shook his head.

"I-it's not the s-s-same."

"Alright, but come inside now. I think you've felt the rain for long enough." Yumi held her hand out to Gaara and he stared at it for a moment before finally grasping onto it. He slowly walked over to the window and carefully climbed back inside with Yumi's help so that he wouldn't slip.

While Gaara stood there dripping wet and trembling, Yumi was shutting the window.

"Start stripping down into your undergarments," she instructed. Gaara looked at her with wide eyes. "I don't want you getting my floors all wet. Let's just keep it in one place, and then you can go into your room and change into some dry clothes. I'll even wait in the kitchen if you're modest about doing something like that." Gaara nodded slightly and Yumi went into the kitchen.

He peeled his shirt off, dropping it on the floor. Next, he slipped his shoes and socks off and stepped out of his pants. He then walked to his room and shut the door behind him, quickly changing into a pair of dry clothes.

When Gaara went back out, he was still shivering slightly and his hair was still matted down against his head. Yumi had already picked up his wet clothes and dried off the floor. The boy jumped slightly when he felt someone come up behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and saw that it was Yumi. The female wrapped a warm blanket around him and dried his hair off with a towel. She then led Gaara into the living room and sat with him on the couch.

"Being out in the rain when you haven't been feeling well probably isn't one of your better ideas," she told him, smiling at him playfully. Gaara kept his eyes on the ground, hugging the blanket around him for extra warmth. "Your eyes were bloodshot. Were you crying about something earlier?" He turned his head away from the woman, hiding his face in his blanket.

Yumi sighed. "Gaara, I know that things haven't been going smoothly these past few days, but you need to talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing has changed since I entered," he whimpered. "I'm still hated by everyone and I know that everything is going to be hard at school again. Now I don't even have my siblings to turn to when I need them."

Yumi touched the boy's shoulder, causing him to look up at her through tear-filled eyes. She brushed away his tears with her fingers and brought her cheek to his forehead. Gaara's body stiffened and Yumi slowly pulled away.

"You feel kind of warm," she told him. Gaara stared at her blankly, unsure of what to say. "If you want things to get better, then you have to believe that they _are_ going to get better. You're always so pessimistic about things. You've only been out of the institution for a little more than a week. It's going to take some time to get used to things. I'm sure that everything will eventually get better." Gaara still looked at her with blank eyes.

"You need to go lay down for a while until you feel better," she told him gently. The young boy nodded slightly and got to his feet. He walked rather awkwardly to his room and shut the door behind him. The sick teen crawled under the covers of his bed and slowly drifted off into a restless sleep.

**XooooooooX**

Gaara shot up into a sitting position after just having woken up from a nightmare. His clothes and hair were soaked with sweat and his body shook fiercely. He glanced nervously around his room, tears slowly streaming down his cheeks. Throwing the covers off, he attempted to get out of bed but ended up tripping over his own two feet and wound up falling on the ground with a loud thud. Instead of getting back up, he curled into a ball and just lay there.

Yumi came in a few moments later and looked down at Gaara with confused eyes. "Are you alright, Gaara?" she asked softly, crouching down beside him. Her young friend didn't reply, but curled up into a tighter ball instead. Yumi sighed and laid her hand lightly on his back, causing him to squirm slightly beneath her touch.

"Come on, Gaara," she sighed. "You're starting to act less like a twelve-year-old and more like an eight-year-old. Tell me what's bothering you."

"I shouldn't be here," he murmured.

"Then where should you be?"

"Back in my room, isolated from the rest of the world."

"You mean back at the hospital?" The redhead nodded and looked up at her through tear-filled eyes. "Why do you belong back at the hospital?"

"If I lose myself, I'll end up hurting a lot of people. I don't want to hurt any more people." Yumi reached over and felt Gaara's forehead with the back of her hand.

"You're burning up," she said, her voice filled with concern. "And you shouldn't worry about hurting people. It's going to happen some way or another. That's what being a human is about. I'm not sure how you think you're going to hurt others, but if you really don't want to, then you won't."

The woman stood up and pulled Gaara to his feet. She helped him back into the bed and pulled the covers up over him. The boy laid his head down on the pillow and watched as Yumi left the room. She came back a few moments later with a few things in her hands and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Open up," she told him, holding out a thermometer. Gaara opened his mouth obediently and Yumi stuck the thermometer under his tongue. He closed his mouth and kept it there. Yumi then folded up a cold wet rag and laid it over his forehead. "Better?" He nodded slightly.

The thermometer was removed from his mouth and when Yumi read it, she frowned deeply. "101.9 degrees Fahrenheit," she sighed, setting the glass stick off to the side. "You stay in bed and get some rest, okay?" Gaara nodded again and slowly closed his eyes, falling asleep shortly afterwards.

**XooooooooX**

Yumi was about to check on her ill friend. Just as she reached out to turn the doorknob, the door was yanked open and Gaara rushed past her into the bathroom. The slightly startled woman stood there for a moment and cringed to herself as a wrenching sound came from the lavatory. She slowly walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with water before going into the bathroom.

The exhausted pre-teen sat up against the wall of the bathroom with his head slumped forward. A tap on the shoulder caused him to slowly lift his head so he could look up at Yumi. She held out the glass of water to him and he took it in his shaky hand. He slowly sipped the cool liquid, ridding himself of the disgusting taste in his mouth. When he finished, Yumi took the glass back and returned it to the kitchen. She went back a couple of minutes later and stood silently in the doorway, watching Gaara with concern.

"Are you done?" she asked softly. The redhead gave a small nod, still looking out into space. Yumi grabbed him under the arm and pulled him up to his feet. She took him back into his room and helped him get back underneath his covers.

"Why am I so sick?" he mumbled, forcing Yumi to listen closely in order for her to be able to understand him.

"I think it's because your immune system is weak, since you've been stuck in your room back at the institute for so long. There are probably other factors to it as well, but that's the main thing I can think of. Anyway, just go back to sleep." Gaara nodded slightly and slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself into the horrific nightmare of his past.

_**XooooooooX**_

_Ten-year-old Gaara was sitting on the couch at his house, trying to watch the movie that had been put on earlier. The young boy was wearing a pair of grey cotton sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He stared at the TV screen with a rather aggravated expression on his face, but was doing his best to stay calm and ignore what was happening around him._

_"How could you say that about Mimi!?" Temari demanded. The two older siblings had just entered the living room while Gaara was watching the movie. They had been arguing about anything and everything there was to argue about, which was pissing the youngest sibling off. He hadn't been involved with any of their "ridiculous debates". He didn't want to be involved._

_"I said it because it was true," Kankurou told her simply, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, why should I make up something about her when I really don't have to?" Temari glared at him, her face turning a light shade of red._

_"You are such a jerk!" she exclaimed, punching him hard in the arm._

_"Owe! What was that for, Tem?"_

_"For being such a jerk, that's why." Kankurou growled and picked up one of the couch pillows, whacking Temari with it. The blonde picked up the other couch pillow and hit her younger brother with it. Within seconds, a full blown pillow war erupted._

_Gaara had given up on watching his movie and was just content with watching his sibling make fools of themselves. There was a wide smirk on his face when Temari tackled her younger brother and started beating him with the pillow. His older sister could be sweet at times, but the key words there were __**could be**__. Most of the time, she was rather violent and had a very short temper._

_The two siblings' bickering quickly silenced when their father stumbled drunkenly into the room. Temari got off her brother and slowly stood up, brushing the imaginary dust off of her. Kankurou got up as well and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. Gaara's smirk was replaced with a frown and he sunk back into the couch as his father's cold eyes settled on him._

_"Get up to your room, boy!" he ordered, his words slurred together. "It's past your bedtime." His bedtime was at nine, and it was only eight o'clock, but Gaara knew better than to argue with his father. If he told him that it was bedtime at five o'clock one day, then he would just head up into his room for the rest of the night._

_Gaara slowly got up the couch and quickly went around his father, clambering up the stairs and shutting his door behind him. He sat on his bed, tightly hugging his knees to his chest, listening to the argument between his drunken father and his siblings. The boy couldn't help but cringe when he heard his name pop up._

_After about twenty minutes of fighting, the atmosphere became frighteningly quiet. The silence was broken five minutes later with the sound of a piercing scream. Gaara jumped slightly and let go of his legs. He could hear his sister crying and screaming something incoherently. The boy jumped off his bed and ran to his door, flinging it open and shooting down the stairs. Just as he got to the bottom of the stairs, he heard his sister scream out in pain. He dashed around the corner into the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks._

_His father was holding a blood covered kitchen knife in his hand and Temari was standing right in front of him, clutching her stomach._

_"T-T-Temari," he stammered, fear evident in his voice. He gasped and rushed forward as his sister stumbled backwards. Gaara caught her but his knees buckled beneath him and they both fell to the ground. The youngest of the family got out from beneath his older sister and hovered over her. Laying less than three feet away from them in a puddle of blood was Kankurou. _

_"Gaara…," Temari whimpered. "G-get outta here." Gaara shook his head, tears starting to stream down his face._

_"I can't leave you," he cried, holding on tightly to her hand. "Please don't leave me, Tem. I need you." His sister smiled weakly, her eyelids drooping shut._

_"I…won't," she whispered, letting her eyes shut. "I'm just…gonna rest." Gaara's eyes widened with fear as her breathing shortened and then stopped completely. He buried his tear-stained face in Temari's chest, his body shaking furiously as he sobbed._

_"You're the one who killed them," his father told him hatefully. Gaara slowly looked up and watched with fear as his father approached him._

_"I…I didn't!" he exclaimed. "W-Why d-d-did you k-kill them?!" His father frowned deeply at his son._

_"I killed them because of my hate towards you. You are the reason they died." The child began trembling even more and his vision blurred because of all the tears. He gasped when he heard the sound of a knife clattering to the floor right next to him._

_"Do everyone a favor and just end your life," his father muttered before walking out of the room and disappearing from sight._

_Gaara stared at the knife for several moments before picking it up and holding it with shaky hands. With tears falling from his wet cheeks onto the floor, he slowly brought the knife to his throat with his trembling hand. He pressed the blade to his skin, fully intending to end his life right then and there. However, he just couldn't do it. Gaara dropped the knife and collapsed face flat into a giant puddle of blood, sobbing uncontrollably until he finally passed out._

_**XooooooooX**_

Gaara woke up breathing heavily, completely drenched in a cold sweat. Tears were streaming down his face as images of the nightmare flashed through his head. He curled up into a small ball and started sobbing. The distressed boy didn't even notice that Yumi had entered until she said something.

"Gaara, honey, what's wrong?" Gaara didn't answer but continued crying. Yumi frowned and peeled the covers off of him. She gently rubbed his back, feeling that his shirt was completed soaked with sweat.

"You poor thing," she cooed. "It was another nightmare, wasn't it?" The upset boy nodded once and continued sobbing. The woman slowly pried him out of his little ball and made him look up at her. "Just calm down, hun. You're going to end up making yourself sick again." She wiped his tears away with her fingers and brushed the bangs that were plastered to his forehead out of his eyes.

Gaara slowly calmed down and stared at the green-eyed woman.

"Temari lied to me," he whimpered.

"How did she do that?" Yumi asked, caressing his cheek with her thumb.

"She told me that she wouldn't leave me." The woman smiled slightly.

"I know that you're not much of a religious person, but I believe that when people die, their spirits watch over their loved ones until they are joined together. Even though she's not here in person, I believe her spirit is always with you, just like your brother's."

Sea-green eyes stared at the ceiling, filled with thought. They finally averted back to Yumi and Gaara nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Yumi."

**XooooooX**

Naruto was sitting on his bed, quietly reading a comic book to pass the time. He looked up from his the colored booklet to see Iruka come into his room and take a seat on the edge of his bed. Sighing to himself, he put his comics away and sat up to look at the older man.

"What did I do this time?" he asked in slight irritation. Iruka softened his stare.

"How come you haven't talked to Gaara in a while?" Naruto scowled and folded his arms over his chest.

"Gaara won't tell me anything. I tell him just about everything there is to know about me, but whenever I ask him a question, he always says that he doesn't want to talk about it."

"Well, Naruto, he had a difficult past."

"I did too!"

"But not everyone is like you, Naruto," Iruka reminded him. The blonde sighed and lay back on the bed.

"I know, but I would like him to have some faith in me I guess. How bad could it have been?"

Iruka looked down at the ground with sad eyes. "It was really bad."

"If you know about it, why can't you tell me?"

"Naruto, Gaara will tell you when he's ready to tell you. I heard about it second hand, so if you keep befriending him like you have been, then maybe he'll start opening up to you. If I remember correctly, Sasuke was the same way. He still doesn't talk much, but he told you a bit about himself."

"Yeah, but that's different," Naruto sighed.

"Just give him time. He's never really had a friend before, so think about how much this means to him."

Naruto sighed and got up. "Fine, then I'll go over now and talk to him. Are you happy now?!" Iruka smirked at the pre-teen as he left the apartment and knocked on the door across the hall. Yumi opened the door and smiled sweetly at blonde.

"I bet you're here for Gaara, aren't you?" she asked. Naruto nodded. "Gaara's kinda sick, but I suppose that you can come in and visit him. He'll probably be happy to have a visitor."

Yumi led her neighbor into the apartment and walked him to Gaara's room. She opened the door and Naruto hesitantly entered. A pair of sea-green eyes looked up at him. As soon as they made eye contact with his, Gaara looked away.

"Gaara, I'm sorry," Naruto told him softly. "I didn't mean to snap at you." The sick friend was looking away from him, staring at the wall blankly.

Naruto sighed. "I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to be friends anymore."

"That's not it," Gaara told him weakly.

"Then what is it?"

"I want to answer your questions, but I just can't bring myself to do it at the moment. I'm sorry."

Naruto shook his head. "It's okay. I was just being a spaz. I shouldn't be making you talk about anything you don't want to." Gaara nodded and slowly turned his head so that he could look at Naruto. "How long have you been sick for?"

"About a week," Gaara sighed. "I've been slowly getting better though." Naruto smiled gently.

"That's good. Have you talked to Yumi about going to school yet?" Gaara nodded. "What did she say?"

"I'll be going to Konoha Middle School."

"Awesome! We'll be going to the same school! We can help each other out and crap like that." Gaara nodded slightly and Naruto grinned.

"I should probably leave so you can get some rest," Naruto sighed. Gaara shrugged.

"I don't care."

"Well, I hope you get better soon." Gaara thanked him. "See ya later."

* * *

**_Sorry about being a day behind. I kinda got a little lazy. And I've been super tired this whole week. I went to bed kinda early last nite because I had to get up kinda early this morning. I joined the yearbook committee and had to take pictures of the JV football team. I got some awesome pics. XD_**

**_Anyway, thanks to the following people for reviewing:_**

**_Gaara-frenzy, Akasuna no Akane, Sorami-san, kitkat kezia, Lighting Wings, Lela Rye, and pizzaslices._**

**_Thanks a bunch._**

**_Oh, and because I had such a good time, I need to rant about this. I went to an Apocalyptica concert last Sunday. It was absolutely amazing!! I got to meet everyone from the band and got their autographs. I also got Adam Gontier's from Three Days Grace and talked to him. Gawd he's sexy. XD Anyway, they are an amazing band, especially for cello players. They're even better live._**

**_Anyway, back to important matters. Lol. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. I think I'm gonna need two weeks this time. I'm just having a lot of trouble with getting my story ideas organized and with actually writing them down because I've been having so much homework lately. Music theory class is just swamping me with busy work. . So, the next chapter will be up not this Friday, but the Friday after. It's October 10th. _**

**_Also, I have set a poll up and I would love it if you guys would vote. It's concerning this story and the addition of another OC around Gaara's age. Please vote becuase it will help me later on with the story._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!_**


	24. A Tour and a Bad Night

Gaara watched in slight amusement as Yumi rushed through the apartment, trying to ready herself for the appointment she was late for. She was supposed to have been meeting a new client five minutes ago but was a little behind. This wouldn't have been much of an issue if it weren't the first time that she would be meeting this patient.

"I'll be back in less than an hour," she told him as she quickly slipped her shoes on. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

Gaara sighed deeply and nodded. "I'll be fine," he assured her. Yumi smiled slightly and hugged him, earning a look of disgust from the younger boy. He finally pushed her away and glared at her deeply. The woman smiled and giggled at his reaction.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just too hard to resist." Gaara sighed and plopped down on the couch. He picked up the book that was lying on the coffee table and began reading it.

"I'll be back soon," Yumi reminded him. "If there ends up being any type of emergency, Iruka is right across the hall." Gaara nodded at her and then went back to reading the book as his guardian finally went out the door.

Everything was quiet, to which he was greatly accustomed to, although he still wasn't used to all the extra space and the freedom to roam around. Orientation for all the seventh graders was next week and he was extremely nervous, although he didn't let that show on the outside. If he wasn't even used to being allowed to roam around the apartment, how on earth would he be able to adjust to roaming around a middle school? Not only would there be a bigger area, but it would be cramped with people. He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle that. The pre-teen had a major dislike of swarms of people. It made him extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious. He was afraid of what they might think about him or that they might know his dark secret.

Gaara was pulled from his book by the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Groaning to himself, he set the book down and answered the door. He stared with wide eyes at the blonde haired boy that was grinning wildly.

"School is in ten days," the boy chirped happily. Gaara blinked, looking at his friend in a stupefied manner.

"Is that all you came over here to tell me?" he asked with slight agitation. Naruto chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, I have a better reason." Naruto paused and Gaara remained silent, waiting for him to continue. He finally went on with his explanation. "I was wondering if you wanted to come and sleep over tonight. One of my other friends might come too." Gaara thought about this and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd have to check with Yumi first," he told him. "I'll let you know later since she's not here right now." Naruto nodded and smiled.

"Sweet. I'll talk to you later then. I gotta go help Iruka with the grocery shopping." Naruto made another sour face, causing Gaara to smile ever so slightly.

"You have fun with that," he told his friend sarcastically. Naruto rolled his eyes at him and chuckled happily.

"Oh, you better bet that I will." Gaara shut the door as his friend turned and left. He plopped down on the couch and closed his eyes, thinking about the events of the previous day.

**XooooooooX**

_Gaara stood beside Naruto, looking down at the ground with nervous eyes. There were whispers all around him, people whispering things like, "Who's the redhead?" and "Look at that kid with black rings around his eyes. Is he new?" The pre-teen did his best to ignore them, not wanting to get involved with any of those people. He just wanted to get on with the tour of the school so that he could hurry up and go home. All these people surrounding him were starting to make him really nervous and somewhat agitated._

_Naruto was looking at his friend with concern. He hadn't seen anyone that was as nervous around people as Gaara was. Even Hinata wasn't that timid. He laid a hand on his classmate's shoulder, causing him to jump slightly and look at him with anxious eyes. Naruto blinked at him, tilting his head to the side slightly._

_"Are you okay, Gaara?" he asked softly. "You seem really jumpy. Is something wrong?" Sea-green eyes stared at him before disappearing behind black eyelids._

_"I just don't like being in big groups of people," he told him simply._

_"Oh, I see. Well, our group leader should be here any minute now and the tour should only take about fifteen minutes at the most." Gaara nodded and continued staring at the floor. He looked up upon hearing Naruto sigh with disgust. He looked at his friend questioningly, not knowing what he was disgusted about. Naruto noticed the look that he was receiving and smirked._

_"Don't worry about it," he told him. "It's not you, and I'm sure that you really wouldn't want to know anyway." Gaara looked over to where Naruto was looking and saw two people making out against the locker._

_"It's just a guy and a girl," Gaara mumbled, glaring back at Naruto. The blonde smirked and chuckled softly._

_"Actually, it's two guys," he corrected. Gaara's eyes widened slightly before he averted them back toward the ground. He sighed and heard Naruto laugh hysterically beside him._

_Suddenly, someone came sprinting into the room and skidded to a halt. A slightly older boy stood before the group, grinning broadly at everyone. He had jet-black hair that had a soup-bowl cut and he was wearing a lime green sweat-suit. _

_"Good afternoon everyone!" greeted the teen. The room began to quiet down and all eyes were on the overly-enthusiastic group leader. "My name is Rock Lee and I will be showing you around this youthful campus!" A few people blinked at him, wondering if that boy was real. It didn't seem possible for anyone like him to be so excited about school related topics. _

_"I'm sure you all are tired of waiting, so let's get started right away." With that being said, Lee took off down the hallway at a quick pace. Everyone was practically running in order to keep up with their guide. He bounded from one classroom to the next, like a child who couldn't contain his excitement. Gaara didn't care and just kept his own pace, walking with another student in the back of the group. By the time they reached their destination, Lee was already halfway through his 100 word-per-minute speech. The speech quickly came to an end and before the students had the chance to talk, he was off again and they were running behind him. Some of the students found this amusing and were laughing. Others didn't like being rushed and just didn't have time to think about how they felt about this. There were also the few people, like Gaara and the student that was walking alongside him, that just didn't care._

_Gaara sighed and walked down the hallway, still strolling beside the other student. His eyes trailed toward the pre-teen and observed him. The peach skinned boy had dark brow hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail and had deep brown eyes. Gaara could see the tired look in his eyes and knew that the boy would rather be anywhere else but there. He was wearing a pair of brown cargo pants and a light grey t-shirt with a circle that had a line through it._

_Just as Gaara and the mystery kid rejoined with the other group, Lee was off once more. The two boys sighed in unison and stared at each other blankly before following after the group. Naruto departed from the rest of the group and hung back with the two boys. The brown-haired boy looked at him with a bored expression on his face and heaved a deep sigh._

_"You're still sleepy, aren't you, Shikamaru?" The boy chuckled slightly and nodded. "You should really think about making your bedtime earlier. You know that you're not going to be able to get away with sleeping in class this year."_

_"You think so?" he asked, sounding rather uninterested. "Just watch me. I could care less." Naruto rolled his eyes at the lazy pre-teen and smiled at his newer friend._

_"Gaara, this is Shikamaru. Shikamaru, this is my new friend Gaara. He just moved here not too long ago." Shikamaru gave him a nod of acknowledgement and covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. Gaara just looked at the ground and continued walking._

_After what seemed to take hours, Lee was finally bringing the tour to a close. He was quickly walking backwards down the hallway. There was a bleach blonde female that was crossing his path and the kids were trying to warn their guide. Lee stopped just in time and grinned at the young female._

_"I am extremely sorry. I was not paying attention to where I was going. I hope I didn't hurt you in anyway." The pre-teen just stood there, staring at what seemed to be nothing, although no one was entirely sure since her eyes were hidden behind a pair of large sunglasses._

_A boy with long chestnut-brown hair came walking casually down the hallway and stood beside the girl. Gaara's eyes widened slightly, recognizing him as that "Neji boy" from church on Sundays. _

_"Hello Neji-kun," Lee greeted, grinning happily. Neji sighed and rolled his eyes at the green-clad teenager. "Are you giving a tour as well?" The other teen nodded and tapped the girl's shoulder._

_"I'm giving her a personal tour," he told his overly excited friend. "I'll talk to you later Lee."_

_The female placed her hand on Neji's shoulder and continued to walk alongside him. They turned on one of the corners and were soon out of sight._

_"I wonder who that was," Naruto spoke softly to himself. "I know Neji... well, I kinda know Neji. I only know of him because I'm friends with his cousin, Hinata. It's that girl that I don't know. I've seen her back at Konoha Elementary a few times, but not very often." Gaara just stared at him blankly and nodded to let him know that he was listening. "Oh well. I'm sure that we'll learn more about her sooner or later." He grinned and the two of them began walking down the hallway toward the exit of the school._

**XooooooooX**

As soon as Gaara knocked, the front door was flung open and the exuberant blonde yanked him inside. He shut the door and turned to Gaara to notice that wide, sea-green eyes stared at him. Naruto burst out laughing. Naruto took his guest's bag and carried it into his room, tossing it down on his bed. He then plopped down on the couch, startling Gaara again. He laughed while receiving a playful shove. Naruto smirked at the redhead and got up, placing a disc into the DVD player. He pressed 'play' before sitting back down and resting his feet up on the coffee table.

"What are we watching?" Gaara asked curiously. The only answer he received was a smirk and a gesture towards the screen. He sighed and looked sternly into playful blue eyes.

"Just relax, buddy," Naruto assured him. "I'm not really sure what it is. One of my friends gave it to me and said that I had to watch it." Gaara nodded slightly and sat back, staring at the TV screen with nervous eyes. There was something in his head that was telling him that nothing good was going to come of this.

He had gotten through half of the movie and his worries were only inclining as the movie progressed. His eyes widened as one of the main characters was shot. A small whimper escaped his lips as a sharp pain shot through his head. Naruto looked over at the trembling boy, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

"Gaara, are you alright?" he asked. Gaara gazed up at him with a disturbing look in his eyes. Naruto shuddered involuntarily as an air of hatred seemed to surround his friend.

Gaara suddenly turned away from the blonde, entangling his fingers in his blood-red locks. Just as Naruto was about to ask Gaara something, the pre-teen stood abruptly and rushed out of the apartment. Naruto just sat there, bewildered about what had just taken place.

**XooooooooX**

Gaara fumbled with the doorknob to his apartment. His vision was getting blurry and his hands weren't doing what he wanted them to. Finally the door was opened and he rushed inside, pushing it shut behind him. As he turned around he could feel himself losing his balance. He attempted to correct himself but it was too late. He fell to the ground with a loud thud and passed out.

Yumi walked out of her room as soon as she heard the noises coming from the living room. Fear overtook her body and mind the moment she laid eyes on the child she was taking care of.

"Gaara!" she gasped, rushing to his aid. Yumi knelt down beside him and felt for his pulse. He seemed to be fine, except for the fact that he was unconscious. Sighing to herself, she lifted Gaara up and carried him over to the couch, gently laying him down.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door. As she had expected, it was Naruto. Worry and concern were written all over his face, which was understandable.

"Is everything alright with Gaara?" he asked nervously. "He kind of left in a hurry, so I didn't know if something was wrong or if he just didn't want to stay the night anymore." Yumi motioned for him to come inside and closed the door behind him. Naruto's eyes immediately rested upon the figure that was lying absolutely still on the couch.

"Is he okay?" he asked once more. The woman nodded.

"What were you two doing over there?" she asked curiously.

"We were just watching a movie," he answered, confusion evident in his voice. The brunette cocked an eyebrow at him, understanding dawning on her. She had an idea of what had happened.

"Was there any blood in this movie?" she asked. Naruto bit his bottom lip and nodded nervously.

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing." A smirk appeared on her face as she nodded.

"I know that Gaara hasn't told you much about himself, and don't feel bad if he never does. He's had complicated past—"

"That's what Iruka keeps telling me too," Naruto interrupted, folding his arms over his chest.

"I want to tell you about one thing, though." Naruto looked up at her with curiosity. "Gaara doesn't do very well around blood, as you might have noticed by now. He changes completely and could even turn violent. He doesn't liked being judged, which is probably why he hasn't told you anything. Would you do me a favor and keep an eye on him for me, especially during the school year? I don't think that I'm always going to be able to be there if he passes out."

Naruto was silent for a moment, letting all the information sink in. His eyes shifted to his unconscious friend and he let out a deep sigh.

"I guess I can do that, but I'm not making any promises." Yumi laughed and nodded.

"Who said anything about promises?" Naruto shrugged and smirked. His deep-blue eyes fell upon Gaara again.

"Are you sure he's going to be okay?" Yumi nodded again.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. This has happened before so I know what to expect." Naruto nodded, still looking at his friend.

"When he wakes up, can you tell him that I still have his things at my place?"

"I sure will." Naruto smiled and thanked her.

"I'll stop by tomorrow."

**XooooooooX**

Naruto sat beside Gaara on the park bench, happily licking a Popsicle. Gaara was twiddling his thumbs together, feeling rather uncomfortable. The two of them had been walking around the park together for over a half hour and neither of them had really said much. Gaara felt badly about leaving Naruto's so suddenly. He wanted to the blonde everything but he just couldn't bring himself to do that.

"You should've told me that you had a problem with blood," Naruto finally told him, staring down at the Popsicle stick in his hand. Gaara looked at him with surprised eyes. "Yumi told me that you were uneasy around blood. If you would've said something, I would've taken that into account."

"I don't want to be a burden…" Gaara began, but was interrupted by the sound of his friend chuckling. He glared at the pre-teen, not finding a single bit of the matter funny.

"Gaara, you don't have to worry about that. We're friends, right? And friends are supposed to look out for one another, so doesn't that mean I need to take stuff like that into consideration?" He was silent, so Naruto continued. "Please try and trust me more, okay? I'm not asking for you to spill your guts out or anything, but I would like you to at least trust me a tiny bit."

"I've never been very open to anyone," Gaara muttered. Naruto gave him an understanding look. "Stuff like this is new to me, so it's hard for me to trust anyone."

"Well, all I'm asking is that you try." He nodded and looked up at the sky.

"I'm sorry about last night." Naruto shrugged and slouched against the back of the bench.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, we should start heading back now." Naruto sprung to his feet and offered his hand to Gaara. He ignored it and got up on his own, which disheartened his friend a little but he chose to leave that unnoticed as well. The two boys slowly walked out of the park and down the streets, a cloud of slight uneasiness following them.

**_Well, I'm late again but putting the chapters together has been getting harder and hard because of all the school work that has been piled on me and all the extra-curricular activities that I have suddenly picked up. But still, I'm not giving up on this story because this has been my favorite. It is, however, going to take me longer to update. It's going to start taking me two weeks now because I've seriously only been having like 10 minutes a day to write, and that really isn't enough time to get all my thoughts together. Sometimes I have more time, but most nights I don't. Anyway, I hope you guys can forgive me. _**

**_Next chapter... Gaara goes to school and a very tiny glimpse of my OC, whom I kind of slipped into this chapter as well. You're only going to be seeing small glimpses of her for awhile so that I can kind of slowly work her into the story. I still haven't decided whether or not I want to make romance between the two or just keep it as a friendly relationship. I'm going to have to see how everything turns out and how easily everything comes to me._**

**_Special thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_Akasuna no Akane, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Lela Rye, NeferNeferi, RainBunnyBow, Gaara-frenzy, Hinata11235, Lighting Wings, and Cuzisme._**

**_HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO HINATA11235!! Sorry about not being able to post it exactly on your birthday, but I still hope that October 9th treated you well. _**

**_Let me know what you guys think, and sorry if the ending is a bit crappy. I really didn't spend as much time on the ending as I did the rest of it. _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANK YOU!!_**


	25. First Day of School

Gaara sat in a desk beside Naruto, watching with nervous eyes as the classroom began to slowly fill with bodies. Naruto watched him with slight interest. He could understand if his friend was jittery over it being the first day of school, but that wasn't the case. The only reason he was so jumpy was because there were so many people.

"You know there's really nothing to be nervous about," Naruto told him, sounding a little annoyed. Gaara glared at him for a moment before averting his eyes to the ground.

"You have no idea what I've been through," he grumbled. The blonde rolled his eyes at him.

"That's only because you won't tell me anything, so don't go blaming me." The two of them have been slightly bitter with each other for the past week, but they've been learning to deal with it. Gaara dealt with it because he didn't really care about little things like that. Naruto had already been used to the cold remarks since he had friends that were already like that.

A raven-haired boy walked down their isle and took a seat at the desk in front of Naruto. The hyper-active pre-teen almost fell out of his chair with happiness, which earned a weird look from the pale skinned boy. Naruto grinned and chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"How was the rest of your summer, Sasuke?" Emotionless onyx eyes stared at his friend for a few moments.

"What's it to you?" he asked coldly. Naruto frowned at this response and folded his arms over his chest angrily. Sasuke ignored this and averted his eyes to the red-haired kid sitting diagonal from him. "Who's your new friend?"

"What's it to you?" Naruto replied in the same cold manner. His friend narrowed his eyes at him. "If you want to know who he is, why don't you just ask him yourself instead of being so anti-social?" Gaara thought that that comment was just going to tick Sasuke off more, but surprisingly it didn't. The pre-teen smirked and turned all the way around in his chair.

"Wow, Naruto, you're a real bitch this morning." Naruto laughed and shrugged.

"Unlike you, since you're a bitch every morning."

"So are you going to introduce me or not?" The blue-eyed boy heaved a deep sigh and nodded.

"But you owe me later, Sasuke Uchiha."

"We'll see about that," he chuckled.

"Sasuke, this is Gaara. Gaara, this is my best friend Sasuke." Gaara nodded in acknowledgement and Sasuke held his hand up in greeting.

"So who did you two get as your school tour leader?" Sasuke asked curiously. Naruto groaned upon recalling the day in question.

"It was green-jumpsuit man!"

"You mean Lee?" Naruto nodded.

"Who did you get?"

"Tenten," he grumbled. The blonde looked thoughtful for a moment, running the name through the long list in his mind. Finally, he sighed and looked up at his friend whom already knew what he was about to ask.

"She's the one that socked you for giving Neji that right hook last year."

"Oh! I know who you're talking about." Sasuke rolled his eyes at his "slow" friend and looked at Gaara thoughtfully. He noticed that the pre-teen was rather quiet, which was a bit of a relief since Naruto was noisy enough for several people.

The three boys looked up as two females raced into the room, pushing against each other and arguing loudly.

"Ha! I beat you, Ino-pig!" the pink haired girl exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at her bleach-blonde "friend." "That means I get to sit next to Sasuke." The raven-haired boy made a sour face at the mention of his name, shrinking back in his seat.

"I don't think so, forehead girl!" Ino spat, obviously angry.

"I really don't want either of them to sit next to me," Sasuke grumbled. "They're so annoying."

"Sakura's not annoying," Naruto growled at his friend. Gaara gave his friend a weird look but was ignored for the time being.

"You only think that because you're not the one being stalked by her and her crazy friends. Come to think of it, you'd probably like that." Naruto's face turned a bright red color, partially from embarrassment and partially from anger. Sasuke noticed the confused look on Gaara's face and smirked slightly at him.

"Naruto has a big crush on Sakura," he explained. "Only thing is Sakura's too obsessed with me to even notice him."

"Sasuke, I'm going to kill you!" The boy's onyx eyes widened as Naruto suddenly lunged at him, gaining a direct hit and knocking him out of his chair. He fell to the floor and glared at his friend angrily, but before he could even do anything else, Sakura and Ino had already made their way over and were pummeling Naruto.

Gaara watched the fight through slightly amused eyes, but looked up as two others entered the room. A very feminine looking boy with long brown hair led bleach-blonde female by the arm. The boy smiled sweetly at Gaara as they passed and took the girl to a seat and sat down in the one beside her. The girl was wearing a pair of glasses and had a deep crimson ribbon tied in her long hair. The young boy sitting next to her talked to her and she listened, occasionally adding in a few words here and there. From what Gaara observed, though, she was a fairly taciturn.

Naruto wearily sat back down in his chair and laid his head down on the desk, mumbling angrily to himself. Sasuke just smirked at his friend, amused by what had happened to the unsuspecting blonde. Naruto looked over to where the boy had sat down a few minutes earlier and smirked.

"Why aren't you over there talking to your boyfriend, Sasuke?" he asked smugly. Once again, Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him.

"He's not my boyfriend," he said coolly.

"If you say so…"

Gaara sank back in his chair, feeling completely out of place between the two friends. In his mind, he shouldn't have even been there. There was no purpose of him being there and the only thing he was really doing was take up space.

"You are so lame," Sasuke finally commented. Naruto shrugged.

"Who gives a shit? I certainly don't." He looked at Gaara and smiled.

"We've freaked you out, haven't we." he teased. Gaara shrugged. He remained silent, just staring at Naruto with blank eyes. His friend stuck his tongue out at him and chuckled.

Just then the teacher walked in and the first day of school officially began.

"I apologize for being late," the teacher told the class smoothly. "My name is Mr. Hatake and I am your Language Arts teacher. Let's start by taking out a sheet of paper and something to write with." The white-haired teacher waited for the rustling of papers to die down before continuing with the instructions.

"Write you names at the top of paper and write a short paragraph about yourself. There won't be enough time to read them out loud today so that will have to wait until tomorrow." All the students began writing busily while the teacher sat at his desk, watching as the students worked on their papers.

The bell eventually rang and all the kids handed in their papers as they walked out of the classroom. Gaara was the last one out of the room, tagging along behind Sasuke and Naruto. He couldn't help but feel small and insignificant. They had probably forgotten about him a long time ago. He was an outsider after all, so it was only natural.

Gaara had to sit in the front of the classroom during history. A boy wearing tight black jeans and a form fitting t-shirt was sitting at the desk next to him. He watched as he doodled over the front of his notebook. A few moments later, the dark brown haired pre-teen looked up at him with blank eyes. Gaara quickly looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed for staring at him like that. He jumped slightly when he was tapped on the shoulder and then looked at the person standing beside him.

"What's your name?" he asked simply, smiling for no apparent reason.

"It's Gaara," he answered softly.

"I'm Sai. I'm guessing that you are new here." He nodded slightly, watching as the boy rested his cheek upon his hand and stared into emotionless green eyes.

"You have pretty eyes," he complimented, smiling again. Gaara blinked, giving Sai a weird look and not really sure of what he should say back.

"Quit flirting with him, Sai," a smooth voice warned. "He's not really your type anyway." The boy with the long brown hair from earlier sat down in the desk behind Sai and smiled tenderly. Gaara's eyes widened slightly upon realizing that these were the two that were making out against the locker during the school tour. The two boys saw this look but ignored it.

"Haku, this is Gaara," Sai introduced. "He says he's new here."

"Well, technically, we're all new to this school," Haku pointed out. Sai shrugged and Haku looked back at Gaara. "So how do you like living here so far?"

"It's been alright." Haku nodded and just as the bell rang and the teacher took her place in the front of the classroom.

* * *

**_Hey all. It's been a LONG time since my last update. I kinda cut the chapter short because I didn't want to have to keep you all waiting much longer for me to post again. School has been taking up A LOT of my time, and I'm sure that there are many of you whom can relate. Even once every other week is causing me to struggle. I will do my best to post as often as I can. Next weekend is Senior retreat so I won't be able to do any writing at all then. Also, I'm taking a college course English class and the amount of reading and other stuff we have to do in that class is merciless. I'm also taking honors physics and that class is relentless as well._**

**_Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter. There was a hint of my original character again and I think I will either be completely introducing her into the story next chapter or the one after that. She is probably the hardest OC I have came up with, so please be patient with me._**

**_I'd like to give a big thanks to the following people for reviewing:_**

**_Me and Gaara 4ever, Hinata11235, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Akasuna no Akane, AP-Rhapsody, Sorami-san, Natsuki Death, Cuzisme, Lighting Wings, kitkat kezia, pizzaslices, and Gaara-Frenzy._**

**_I really appreciate all the support I have been receiving from you guys, as well as all of your suggestions. All of your support has been keeping me going, even though it has been rough. Thank you all so much for being patient and I promise that I will finish this to the best of my ability._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!_**


	26. Friends

Gaara slowly moped home, dragging his feet along beneath him. Naruto was supposed to be walking home with him, but he had gone over to Sasuke's house. He wasn't really expecting much to be different from what he had experienced before he had been locked up in the mental institute. Everything was still practically the same. People still avoided him and he still had difficulties making friends. It still felt as though a rain cloud were following him everywhere he went. Why did everything have to go against him?

He slowly passed a softly crying young girl that was sitting on the curb. She had short black hair that had a purple shine to it. He recognized her as being the Hyuuga female that he had met at church. Gaara tried to keep walking, knowing that nothing good ever came out when he got involved. The sound of the girl's crying stayed glued to his mind, making him feel even more depressed. He finally stopped and turned back around to where the girl was. Sighing to himself, he retraced his steps and stood beside her.

After a few moments, the girl realized that someone was standing next her and looked up with tear-filled eyes. She sniffled a bit and he looked down at her blankly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding rather irritated. Hinata wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and shook her head.

"It's nothing," she told him. Gaara sighed and held a hand out to her.

"It's obvious that there is something bothering you, otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here crying." Hinata took his hand and was pulled to her feet. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you probably shouldn't stay here." The timid female nodded and looked at Gaara through pleading eyes. He sighed once again.

"I can walk you home if you want." Hinata nodded and the two of them slowly continued down the street.

"Thank you, Gaara-kun," she thanked nervously.

"Don't mention it," he grumbled.

After about five minutes, the pair reached the Hyuuga manor. Gaara was just about to turn to leave when Hinata stopped him. He looked blankly into her periwinkle eyes.

"I-I saw you eating a-alone," she stammered. Gaara winced, remembering the experience. He had thought that he would eat with Naruto, but he hadn't been able to find him. "W-would you l-l-like to eat lunch with my friends and me?" He gave her a confused look but saw that she was being sincere.

"I… I would like that." Hinata smiled and nodded, watching Gaara as he turned and left.

**XooooooooX**

Yumi looked up from the book she was reading as Gaara gently shut the apartment door behind him. Dropping his backpack on the floor, he slumped back into the chair and heaved a deep sigh.

"Is everything alright, hun?" she asked with slight concern. He looked up at her with sad eyes, not saying anything. Yumi sighed and tucked a loose piece of brown hair behind her ear. "You know, I can't make you feel better if I don't know why you're sad in the first place." Gaara looked down at the ground, twiddling his thumbs in his lap.

"Why is it so hard for me to make friends?" Yumi thought for a moment.

"While you were back at the institution, you didn't really socialize with other people. It might take you awhile…"

"It has always been this way," he added in, clutching onto the fabric of his jeans.

"You don't think of Naruto as a friend?" she asked, a little surprised.

"He has other friends… when he's around them, it's like I'm not even there." Yumi smiled gently and nodded.

"Well, Naruto isn't the best at multi-tasking. A friend is someone that you can trust, Gaara. It's someone that you hang out with sometimes, and when you do hang out, you feel comfortable around him or her. Naruto can't always just pay attention to you because he has other friends as well. Just because he has other friends doesn't mean that you're any less important to him."

"I know," Gaara sighed. He sank back in the chair and closed his eyes.

"One of my clients has a daughter your age," Yumi told him, looking thoughtful. "If you're up to it, I could bring you along with me tonight and you could meet her."

"I guess, since I have nothing else better to do anyway." Yumi rolled her eyes at him, skeptical of his negativity.

"You better not act so grumpy around Kerri," she told him with a smirk. Gaara looked at her rather uninterested.

"And why not?" he asked, sighing heavily.

"You'll end up making her sad. She's special and all your negativity will upset her."

"Are you saying that she's mentally slow or something?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. Yumi sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"No, Gaara, not like that. You're just going to have to find out later." The teen sighed and got out of his chair. He opened his backpack, took out one of his folders and handed it to the brown-haired woman.

"I need you to sign those." He paused for a moment and looked down at the ground with sad eyes. "It says that I need a parent signature, and I guess you're the closest thing I have… they'll still accept it, right?" Gaara looked up at her and immediately noticed that same sparkle in her eyes that she always got when she was about to do something mushy. Slowly, he took several steps back, narrowing his eyes at her and earning a small chuckle from the woman.

"I have math homework to do," he told her, making an excuse to get out of the room and away from any contact. "I'll be in my room if you need me." He quickly grabbed his book bag and walked into his room, shutting and locking the door behind him. Yumi noticed that he had just gotten into the habit of locking his door not too long ago. She was slightly concerned about the matter, wondering if she was invading his space too much. Smiling slightly to herself, she quickly shook the thought away.

_"I'll give him a little more room to breathe but contact like this is good for him," _she thought to herself. "_He needs to start getting used to stuff like that, since things of the sort are probably going to happen quite often."_

**XooooooooX**

The door to a small ranch house was quickly opened and an auburn-haired woman with sad green eyes smiled at the two guests. Gaara just stared at her blankly while Yumi greeted the woman with a smile.

"I hope you don't mind, but I brought Gaara along to hang out with Kerri." The woman shook her head.

"That's fine," she answered sweetly, stepping aside and letting them enter. "Kerri will probably be happy to have a guest."

As they were led down the hallway, Gaara could hear the sound of someone playing the piano. He could feel his heart sinking with the sound of the sad melody. As they continued down the hall, the sound of the piano got louder. The woman knocked on the door and the song ended.

"It's open," replied a small voice. The girl's mother turned the handle and motioned for Gaara to enter the room.

"Miss Yumi brought her son with her," the woman told her daughter. Gaara shifted uneasily at being called Yumi's son, since he wasn't related to her in the slightest. "You two can stay in here while Miss Yumi and I talk out here." Kerri nodded, not turning around look at them.

The door was shut and the two pre-teens were left alone. Gaara stood in front of the door, staring at the back of the female's head, feeling rather uncomfortable. He knew nothing about this girl and yet Yumi just left him alone in a room with her.

"You know you don't have to just stand there," she told him, still not looking at him. "You can have a seat on the bed if you want, but if you prefer standing, that's fine too. My name is Kerri, by the way. I'm afraid that I haven't the slightest clue what your name is."

"It's Gaara," he mumbled, walking over to the girl's bed and taking a seat. There was something about this girl that made him feel awkward, which in turn caused him to want to leave as soon as possible.

Finally, the girl turned her body toward him and managed to smile, even though it was slight. That wasn't what caught his attention the most, however. It was the girl's cloudy cerulean eyes. He had a feeling that there was most likely something wrong with her eyesight. Gaara also noticed that she was the girl that had been clinging to Haku's arm during first period.

"I'm not really sure what we can do," Kerri confessed, staring blankly ahead. "As you may or may not know, I'm blind, so there isn't much I can do entertainment-wise. Unless you want to talk or something, I guess we can just sit here and enjoy each other's company." Gaara blinked at her, finding her most peculiar.

"I'm not really much of a talker," Gaara admitted softly, staring at the door. Even though she couldn't see, her eyes seemed to sadden slightly.

"That's okay. I kind of figured as much." Gaara thought for a moment, looking at the piano.

"You never finished playing the song."

"That's okay; I don't want to be a nuisance." Gaara shook his head, but remembered that she wouldn't be able to see it.

"I'd like to hear how it ends," he pressed on, looking down at the ground solemnly. Gaara closed his eyes as the soft melody began to pick up again. Memories that he had kept locked away for so long were slowly brought back into the light.

**XooooooooX**

_Seven-year-old Gaara sat at the piano playing a simple song that he had taught himself. He smiled to himself as he plunked the keys, creating a rather harsh sound from the instrument. His only worry was getting the notes right._

_"What are you playing, Gaara?" Yashamaru asked. The small child jumped slightly and turned around to see his uncle standing behind him._

_"I don't know. I saw the music sitting out and wanted to try it." Yashamaru nodded and smiled sweetly._

_"You're doing just fine. You have all the notes down pretty well, so maybe you should concentrate on making it sound a little better." Gaara looked at the older man with sad eyes._

_"Does it sound bad?" Yashamaru's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head._

_"I'm sorry, let me clarify." The boy gave his uncle a weird look, causing him to laugh. "I mean let me explain it to you better." Gaara nodded. "What I meant was it's supposed to sound a little differently."_

_"I thought I was playing the notes right," Gaara whimpered. Yashamaru sat down on the piano bench beside him and told his nephew to play the song again. The redhead began plunking the notes once more and Yashamaru chuckled softly. Gaara stopped and looked up at him with angry eyes._

_"Here, listen to how I play it." He played the same notes as Gaara had, each pitch sounding softer and smoother._

_"Remember when I had you play your scales over and over again?" The child made a sour face and nodded. "You want it to sound smooth, just like that. It's not like you're poking something to death." Gaara laughed and nodded. He placed his small hands on the keys and began playing the simple melody yet again. It was still a little rough, but it was much more fluent than before. When Gaara had finished, he looked up at his uncle with expecting eyes. Yashamaru smiled and nodded._

_"That was much better," he praised. "If you keep practicing, you will become as good as I am." Gaara grinned._

_"And someday I'll be as good as mother!" he exclaimed happily. Yashamaru smiled sadly and nodded._

_"Yes, maybe someday, but you still need a lot of practice."_

_"I know," Gaara sighed._

**XooooooooX**

Kerri had finished playing the soft song and was sitting quietly at the piano. Gaara stared into space with blank eyes, not seeming to notice that the blonde had finished. Kerri felt bad about not being able to entertain her guest. Everything was so difficult because of her sight impairment.

The girl jumped slightly when she felt Gaara sit down on the piano bench beside her. She listened as Gaara started gently pressing the keys, playing a simple melody. Kerri smiled as he played through the tune once. As he repeated the song a second time, she slowly played it with him. Gaara looked at her and continued playing, knowing the notes by heart. Even after his uncle had died, he still continued playing piano. He did it for himself and no one else.

Gaara's eyes widened as Kerri's hand crossed over his. Their hands returned back to their own sides of the piano as the song ended. Gaara looked down at his hands. His finger gently stroked the keys as an uncomfortable silence surrounded them.

"How long have you been playing?" she asked softly.

"Since I was six," he answered, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I'm sorry… I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?" Gaara shook his head before realizing that she wouldn't have seen it.

"It's fine. I'm just not used to talking."

"I understand. There aren't a lot of people that come to visit me so I don't really get to talk with anyone very often. You kinda get used to the silence to a point where it doesn't even bother you anymore." Gaara nodded, once again realizing that there was no way she would've been able to see that. He knew that this was going to take some getting used to.

"I'm basically the same way," he replied softly. Kerri tilted her head to the side, a little surprised to hear this.

"Really? You seem like a nice enough person, so that's kind of strange."

"How would you know?" he asked, sounding upset. Why was he getting this way? All she was doing was giving him a compliment. There was no need for him to get all worked up over something like that. "How can you judge me so easily? You don't even know anything about me." The girl stared off into space, looking a little shaken up by his harsh sounding words. She finally sighed and smiled slightly.

"I'm not the only one who does it. In fact, you probably have some impressions about me even though you know as much about me as I know of you." Gaara sighed and looked down at the ground in frustration.

"Most assumptions that are made about me are negative."

"Well, mine wasn't, so you have nothing to be so bitter about. Besides, like you said, I don't really know anything about you so it would be wrong of me to accuse you of being mean or anything else negative."

Just then, Yumi entered the room. She smiled at Gaara and he slowly got to his feet.

"I'm leaving," he told Kerri. "I guess I'll see you around." The girl nodded and listened to his footsteps as he left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"I've never seen anyone so sad before," she whispered to herself. "His energy is even darker than Sasuke's."


	27. A Peek at Kerri

Kerri slowly walked through the hallway, using her cane to help guide her through the masses of people. Everyone was chattering with their friends, still going on about how wonderful their summer was. Amongst the jabbering were also some unkind words. The long-haired blonde couldn't help but cringe at this.

"The gossip has started already?" she asked herself.

"Does that really surprise you?" replied a familiar voice. Kerri smiled and laughed softly.

"Sadly, Haku, it doesn't." Her smile slowly faded as the boy's energy settled down on her.

"Would you like some help?" he asked, sounding as cheerful as always. He linked arms with her and walked the girl to class. Haku helped Kerri find her seat and took a seat beside her.

"Is everything all right, Haku?" she asked a few moments later. The boy gave her a strange look.

"Of course," he answered, sounding rather nervous. Kerri nodded, knowing that he wasn't being truthful. Even so she wouldn't force him to talk about it if he didn't want to. Forcing someone to do something never really worked out well anyway. The person always ended up becoming angry because of it.

"Actually, can I tell you something?" Haku asked.

"Of course you can," Kerri answered, smiling slightly. The long-haired boy looked down at the ground in embarrassment, blushing slightly.

"I don't think Sai is serious about our relationship." Kerri blushed.

_"So it's this type of problem,"_ she thought to herself.

"Why would you say that?" she asked, her blush slowly fading.

"Sai is always flirting with other boys," Haku sighed, sounding rather upset. Kerri smiled and shook her head.

"That's just because Sai is stupid." The pale-skinned boy laughed and nodded.

"I'm aware of that, but sometimes I think that he's doing it because he doesn't love me that way anymore." The blonde shook her head.

"No, that's not it. You may not be able to sense it, but Sai is rather emotionless when he is around other people. The only time he seems sincerely happy is when you two are together." Haku blushed, looking thoughtful.

"I guess I've never really given it any attention." The blue-eyed female smiled and giggled.

"What's so funny?" Haku asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

"That goofy kid and Sasuke are coming." Brown eyes watched the door and sure enough, Naruto came bouncing into the room. Following him was Sasuke and a redhead Haku wasn't familiar with.

"I would've never guessed that you were trying out for the football team!" the blonde-haired boy exclaimed. Sasuke furrowed his brow, taking his seat. Gaara took his seat as well, noticing that the blind girl was sitting on the other side of the room. He was brought back to reality as the discussion between his two friends continued.

"So? What's it to you?" Sasuke grumbled.

"You're gonna get your skinny ass pummeled!" The raven-haired boy narrowed his eyes at Naruto, but smirked playfully.

"Maybe that would change if you were my personal cheerleader. You sure have a big enough mouth for it." Naruto's face turned red again as he angrily took his seat. Gaara couldn't help but smirk. No matter how hard the blue-eyed knucklehead tried, Sasuke seemed to always get the last word.

"I really hate you, Sasuke," Naruto grumbled. The onyx-eyed teen smirked and slowly stood up.

"If that's really how you feel, then I'll just move." Naruto watched with his mouth gaping open as Sasuke picked up his stuff and moved over to where Haku and the light-blonde girl were sitting.

Kerri smirked as Sasuke took a seat on the other side of her. The teen smirked back, although he knew that she wouldn't be able to necessarily see it. Unknowingly to a bunch of people, Kerri and Sasuke had been friends for several years. It was more like an acquaintance type of friendship since the only time they ever talked, if they even talked at all, was at school. Still, it was better than nothing. Sasuke found her bearable to hang around since she wasn't a crazy fan-girl or anything like that. She held no sexual appeal for him, which he figured was because she couldn't see what he looked like. He was actually kind of glad for that.

"So I'm guessing you heard the whole thing, right?" Sasuke inferred.

"You guessed right," Kerri giggled. He rolled his onyx eyes at her, still smirking.

"You and Naruto seriously act like you two are a couple," Haku teased, smiling slyly. Sasuke frowned as Kerri burst out laughing, nodding her head in agreement.

"That's exactly what they act like!" She slowly pulled herself back together, apologizing to the flustered boy.

"So how have you been, Sasuke?" she asked sweetly, changing the subject. "You don't seem as gloomy as you normally are." Sasuke folded his hands on the desk, sighing slightly.

"Like you just pointed out, I haven't been as gloomy as usual." Kerri smiled and nodded.

"That's good. It makes me sad when you're all gloomy."

"How do you even know when I'm gloomy if I hardly ever talk to you?" The girl smirked slightly.

"I have my ways."

**XxooooooxX**

English eventually began. Everyone had been given the assignment of writing about something interesting about his or herself. Gaara had seriously started writing about everything that had happened to him, but quickly crumbled it up and threw it into the garbage can. He couldn't believe that he had really written that. There was no way in hell he was going to tell these people about the inferno he had been through.

After first bell, he was antsy for most of the morning. He had no idea why, but for some reason he just couldn't settle down. Maybe he was afraid of revealing his dark secret, but he wasn't certain.

At lunch, he sat with Hinata and a few unfamiliar faces, along with a few that he recognized. Hinata quickly introduced him to everyone: Neji, Sai, Sakura, Tenten, Shino, Kiba, and Kerri.

The females did most of the talking, although the other members at the table would speak up every now and then. When Gaara finished his lunch, he just sat there quietly, listening to the conversation.

"I can't wait until this weekend," Sakura squealed. Everyone but Kerri gave Sakura a weird look. Kerri just smiled, happily finishing her lunch.

"What are you so excited about?" Tenten asked, raising an eyebrow at her pink-haired friend.

"I'm going to a concert this weekend."

"Which concert?" Sai asked, obviously faking his interest. Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and grinned.

"Bullet for my Valentine." Kiba smirked.

"I heard that it's going to be a cool concert," he commented, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on the makeshift pillow. Sakura sighed.

"I guess it's obvious that you guys aren't fans of the band." Sai nodded, still smiling his cheesy smile.

"I'm happy for you, Sakura," Kerri spoke up. "I'm not a big fan of theirs, but that doesn't mean you won't have a good time." Sakura smiled and nodded.

"I know that. I was only trying to start a conversation."

"It was a very poor attempt," Shino commented. Kiba snickered and Neji smirked. Sakura glared at Shino and Kiba before getting up as everyone was dismissed. Neji helped guide Kerri out of the lunchroom, following behind Gaara.

"Hey, new kid," Neji called out, tapping Gaara on the shoulder. "Would you mind walking her to class?" He stared at the female for a moment before looking back at Neji and nodding his head slightly. The Hyuuga boy thanked him and hurried off to catch up with Tenten. Gaara stiffened as soon as Kerri placed a hand on his shoulder. Sighing, he hesitantly took her by the arm and led her out of the cafeteria. They silently weaved their way through the crowded mass of bodies. Once they were in the science hallway, there weren't as many obstacles to worry about.

Gaara led her to the classroom and let go of her arm. Without even saying a word to her, he turned away from her and took his leave.

"Thank you, Gaara," she thanked softly.

XXXXXXXX

TO BE CONTINUED

XXXXXXXXX

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

_**Sorry about taking so long, and sorry about not finishing the chapter all the way. It's been a while, so I wanted to post it up soon. The holidays are coming up fast. I'll hopefully have a bunch more written over holiday break, but I can't promise anything.**_

_**Thanks so much to the following reviewers from chapter 25, since I didn't mention them last time around.**_

_**Lela Rye, kitkat kezia, yoosha, cuzisme, akasuna no akane, Gaara-frenzy, RainBunnyBow, Me and Gaara 4ever, Natsuki Death, MidniteCurse4Eternity, and Sorami-san.**_

_**Thanks to the following reviewers for reviewing last chapter:**_

_**Gaara-frenzy, RainBunnyBow, Lela Rye, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Me and Gaara 4ever, Cuzisme, Natsuki Death, and Sorami-san.**_

_**I'll hopefully get another chapter out by the end of December. If not, look for the next chapter around January.**_

_**REVIEW!!!!**_

_**THANK YOU!!!**_


	28. A Close Call

A young redhead shifted around uncomfortably in his seat. Ever since he and Kerri had parted ways, an unnatural feeling of awkwardness was eating away at him. For some reason, he felt extremely unnerved around the female. When he was away from her though, he was antsy and had difficulty concentrating on the task at hand. There was just something about her that attracted him, but at the same time made him want to avoid her at all cost.

Gaara sighed with frustration, glaring back forth between the overheard board and the journal he was taking notes in. He roughly pressed the tip of his pencil against the paper, scribbling everything down. The bell finally rang, much to Gaara's relief. The pre-teen wasn't sure if he would've been able to take much more. He wanted the day to end soon so he could hide away in his room. That way he was sure to be safe from coming into contact with the girl again.

He got up from his seat and went along with the flow of the crowd down the hall. Once he was close to his locker, he peeled away from the thick masses and began working on his lock. His eyes caught a glimpse of Kerri and he immediately froze. He watched her as she walked past him, not even giving him a second glance, not that she could anyway.

Gaara quickly shook his head, snapping out of the trance he had been in. He opened his locker and switched out everything before heading to his last class of the day. Sluggishly, he sat down in his seat and laid his head on the desk.

"How in the hell did you do that?" asked a student that was sitting behind Gaara. The sea-green eyed boy raised his head slightly, thinking that they were talking to him.

"I cut it in woodshop," another boy snickered. Gaara's eyes widened at the sight of a large gash in one of the other student's hand. He quickly looked away, suddenly feeling nauseous and lightheaded. His already pale skin obtained a sickly hue and his eyes darkened.

Gaara jumped upon feeling someone place a hand on his shoulder. Grimacing, he brought a shaky hand to his forehead. The person that had been standing beside him grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. Gaara glanced at the individual with weary eyes before averting his stare to the ground.

"Come on, buddy," Naruto told him softly, leading him out of the room. On their way out, Naruto stopped beside the student with the bloody hand. "You better wash your hand and wrap it up." The boy glared at Naruto.

"Why should I listen to you?!" he demanded. Naruto smirked playfully.

"Because I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I don't want your disease." The other pre-teen's face glowed bright red as Naruto guided his friend out into the hallway.

"Where do you think you two are going?" Kurenai-sensei asked as they rounded the corner. "The bell is about to ring."

"Sorry, Kurenai-sensei," apologized the blonde. "I'm taking Gaara to the bathroom and maybe to the nurse. He's not feeling too swell." The older woman looked at Gaara with concern and sighed.

"Alright, but don't be too long." Naruto smiled and nodded. He took his friend by the upper arm and walked him down the hall. They headed towards the bathroom, but Gaara ended up collapsing on his knees before they reached it. Naruto sat him up against a set of lockers and looked him over with worry.

"Dude, are you gonna be okay?"

"How did you know?" Gaara asked, keeping his voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't remember? Yumi told me about it." The redhead nodded solemnly. Naruto grabbed him by the arm again and pulled him back to his feet. "I'm just gonna drop you off in the nurses office. If you don't come back before the end of class, I'll bring your stuff to you on the way to my locker."

The two of them walked into Nurse Shizune's office, Naruto smiling upon seeing Kerri sitting in one of the chairs. He sat the redhead down in the chair next to her and walked over to the nurse's desk. A young woman with deep brown eyes looked at the pre-teen and smiled slightly.

"I'm going to leave my friend with you," Naruto told her. She looked past the blonde at the other boy, noticing his sickly pale color.

"Thanks for bringing him here." Naruto grinned and nodded before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Feel better soon, Gaara," he told his friend as he left.

"Would you like to lie down, Gaara-san?" the nurse asked politely. The pre-teen shook his head and looked down at the ground.

"I just need to sit down for a bit." Shizune nodded in understanding and went back to working on the stack of papers that was piled on her desk.

"Are you alright, Gaara-kun?" Kerri asked softly.

"I'm fine," he whispered sharply. The girl's face saddened upon hearing the tone of his voice. To her, it was obvious that Gaara didn't want anything to do with her. She felt foolish for thinking she would have a chance at being able to become friends with him.

Gaara saw the hurt look on the female's face and felt slightly bad about it. He never meant to hurt people's feelings, but for some reason he was very good at it. The pre-teen especially had a hard time with being around Kerri. Whenever he was around her, an agitated feeling would wash over him. Bitterness would surround him, almost as if he were trying to keep himself isolated.

"I'm sorry," he apologized softly.

"You don't need to apologize. It's my fault for not leaving you alone when it's obvious that you don't want to be bothered." The female slowly got up, grabbing hold of her cane and heading for the door. "I hope you feel better, Gaara-kun." Kerri slowly exited the room, leaving the teen alone, just like he had always been.

**XxooooooooxX**

"What's wrong, honey?" Yumi asked with concern. She had been watching Gaara poke at his food for the last five minutes. It was obvious that something was troubling him. "Did something happen at school?" she pressed on.

Gaara sighed and set his fork down beside his plate. His eyes were filled with the same sadness Yumi had grown used to, only there was something more there this time. He looked down at the floor, which was something he normally did. It made him more comfortable to make eye contact with a person, but only after a conversation was started and was getting somewhere. Sometimes, looking into another's eyes made him even more uncomfortable because he would see emotions that he craved so much. He didn't know how to receive feelings from others, nor did he know how to express his own clearly.

"I keep upsetting people," he finally answered. Yumi tilted her head to the side, slightly perplexed. Gaara slowly looked up at her, meeting her stare. He could feel his heart sinking lower, for he knew that he would have to give an explanation. Before he could clarify, Yumi began to speak.

"Is there a specific person, or is it people in general?" Gaara looked down at the ground once more, slightly embarrassed and ashamed at himself.

"Kerri is a kind person, right?" he asked with uncertainty. Yumi nodded.

"She's a very sweet girl. I'm guessing that the two of you aren't getting along well."

"She makes me feel awkward. I don't like it." Yumi placed her elbow on the table, resting her chin upon the palm of her hand.

"How exactly?" she asked, staring at the boy with gentle eyes. Gaara bit his bottom lip, contemplating on how to put his emotions into words.

"I feel as if I'm exposed when I'm around her," he finally admitted. "That's the only way that I can think of putting it." His foster parent nodded in comprehension.

"This may sound a little cold-hearted, but if you want to make friends, you're going to need to try and ignore that feeling. You need to somehow find a way to look past that, otherwise you'll never be able to really trust someone." Gaara clenched his hands into slightly trembling fists. Yumi sighed and got up from her seat, walking over to the flustered teenager. He looked up at her through emotionless eyes, watching her closely as she laid a gentle hand upon his shoulder.

"Do you want to be friends with Kerri?" she asked gently. The redhead nodded slightly, keeping his stare to the floor. "Then you need to try lightening up a bit and sounding a little kinder. She may feel just as nervous around you as you feel around her."

"She sure doesn't seem that way," he muttered. Yumi smiled and chuckled, petting his hair.

"Quit making excuses and do your best, okay?" Gaara sighed and nodded. "If you really want to get along, then you'll make more of an effort."

* * *

**_Yay! I got chapter 28 up just in time for Gaara's birthday! ^.^ I'm so glad I got it done in time. Well, I'm already close to finishing chapter 29, so that should be up soon too. I probably won't put it up until I get a decent start in chapter 30 though, so that I have something to replace each post. Anyway, let's plan on Chapter 29 to be posted on my birthday, January 29th. ^__^ _**

**_Now, onwards to thanking the SUPER-AWESOME people who reviewed last chapter and helped keep me motivated. A SUPER-EXTRA-SPECAIL THANKS TO:_**

**_MidniteCurse4Eternity, AP-Rhapsody, Me and Gaara 4ever, Cuzisme, Lela Rye, Gaara-frenzy, and pizzaslices._**

**_You guys are extra amazing!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKIES!!!!_**


	29. Sasuke, Kerri, and Gaara's Depression

Gaara sat at his desk, shading his sketch. Sadness washed over him as the sight-impaired blonde slowly walked past him, her white cane sweeping across the floor in front of her. It had been an entire week and she hadn't spoken a single word to him since that day they were both in the nurse's office. The redhead knew that he needed to say something, but didn't know how to bring himself to do so. Even though he had treated the female like he wanted to be left alone, that was the total opposite of how he felt.

For the past week, Gaara could feel everyone falling farther away from him. Naruto hadn't been talking to him very much, even when Gaara tried to talk to him. He understood that Naruto was always busy because of all the people that were in his life, but he still couldn't help but feel left out. He didn't associate himself with Sasuke very often. The raven-haired boy didn't like being bothered and Gaara didn't like the sarcastic attitude that he used all the time. Hinata was nice but neither of them talked much, and since she was always nervous, it would rub off onto him.

Even Yumi seemed to be fading away in the shadows. She was never there anymore. The brunette was always at work and whenever she would finally get some free time she was whisked away on an emergency call. Gaara only saw her right before bedtime and early in the morning before he went to school. At night, she would end up falling asleep. The pre-teen couldn't blame her. He knew how busy she was. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he was being smothered by a darkness that would soon engulf him for good.

He had been waking up with new nightmares for the past seven days. Each terror-filled dream ended with his death. Sometimes it was bloody and other times it was completely blood free. Four out of the seven nightmares ended with suicide and the other three with murder. Gaara clearly remembered waking up the first night, gently holding onto his throat for fear that his head would fall off if he let go. The second and third night caused him the most trouble. Not only did he end up dying in a grotesque and horrible manner, but he had killed several familiar faces as well. On the fourth night, he had died by Yumi's hands. He could still see her bloodstained fingers. Gaara hung himself on the fifth night and slit his wrists on the sixth, slowly bleeding to death. On the seventh night, his father beat him until he couldn't put up a fight any longer. He climbed on top of Gaara, wrapped his large hands around his son's small throat and strangled him until all the life had left the child's body.

The young boy couldn't understand why he was thinking about death so much. He was afraid to sleep because of the murder and bloodshed that threatened to haunt his unconscious mind. There was no way that he could take much more of it. Not only were thoughts of death picking at him during slumber, but they were also eating away at him throughout the day. He couldn't help but wonder if it would matter if he were alive or dead. The only person that seemed to really care about him was Yumi and he was sure she would understand if he were to take his life. She always understood everything and he knew that she would never judge him. Even so, these thoughts scared him.

The bell rang and Gaara stood up from his seat. He walked straight to the nurse's office. Shizune looked at him with concern, seeing the look of pain masked all over his face.

"I'm not feeling well," he told her softly, locking eyes with her.

"It's the end of the day, sweetheart," she told him gently. "You don't think you'll be able to make it home?" Gaara shook his head, biting his lip nervously.

"I walk home, and I—." Shizune slightly raised her hand, cutting the boy off.

"Walking home probably isn't a good idea then. I'll make a call to your house and see if someone will come pick you up." Gaara nodded solemnly and took a seat in one of the chairs.

**XxooooooooxX**

Kerri walked beside Sasuke, her hand resting against his shoulder. The raven-haired pre-teen couldn't help but smirk at the grinning girl as she tilted her face towards the sunlight. He knew that she normally got a ride home from one of her neighbors, but since he had nothing else better to do he offered to walk the blonde. It was a nice day after all, and he thought that it would be nice to spend a little time with her since they hardly ever hung out.

Normally, Sasuke wouldn't be hanging around with anyone, with the exception of Naruto every once in a while. This was especially true when it came to girls. They were all annoying in Sasuke's opinion. Kerri, however, was different from all the other women. From the very first time that they had met each other, he felt that there was something pulling him closer to her. Something about her made him feel like she was the safest person in the world.

Sasuke smirked to himself as he remembered how hard she tried to befriend him and how she had been one of the first people to discover his deep despair.

_**XxoooooxX**_

_Eight-year-old Sasuke stood at the sink, splashing cold water onto his tear-stained face. Bloodshot onyx-colored eyes were mirrored back at him, his reflection looking sadder than he felt. He gently ran his fingertips __over__ the dark bruise that was painted __on__ his right __eye__. Hot tears began to run down his cheeks again as he thought of all the lies he had been telling all his concerned peers. He was always covering up for what his brother did to him._

_"Uchiha-kun, are you alright?" asked a small, shy voice. The startled child gasped, quickly turning around. Sasuke slipped on the wet floor, __fell__ back against the sink and __let__ out a small yelp __of__ pain._

_A young female around his age hurried over to him, her white cane guiding her down a clear path. Her cane eventually came to a stop, letting her know that she was standing before the fallen boy._

_"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, sounding slightly angry. "This is the boy's bathroom, which means that no girls are allowed." The blonde ignored his statement and knelt down in front of him, slowly reaching out blindly in front of her. She gently touched his wrist and laggardly traced her fingertips up his arm, resting them on his cheeks._

_Sasuke's body grew rigid, uncomfortable about the fact that someone was so close to him. He stared into her unseeing eyes as she brushed his wet cheek with the back of her hand. Her facial expression changed into a look of worry and concern._

_"Are you bleeding?" she asked, sounding slightly distressed. Sasuke swallowed hard and shook his head._

_"N-no, it's not blood," he answered quietly._

"Why am I letting her touch me?"_ he wondered. _"Just push her away. She's probably only here because she's a fan-girl or something like that. All she's going to do is annoy you and be like all the other shallow girls in the school. They all say they love me yet none of them even really **know** me."

_Sasuke slowly lifted his arms, intending to shove the girl away. The change in the girl's facial expression from worry to sympathy caused him to freeze._

_"They're tears," she whispered sadly. The youngest of the __Uchihas__ blinked, trying to swallow the lump in his throat that had just developed. He bit down on his bottom lip as she lightly traced the bruise around his eye, her lips slightly parted as if she were contemplating something._

_"You're so sad," she continued, keeping her voice low, "And you're hurt. No wonder you're in tears. Are you being bullied, Uchiha-kun?" Sasuke felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, cringing slightly at the thought of what was causing all his misery._

"I guess you could say it's bullying," _he thought._

_"Uchiha-kun, who is bullying you?" Sasuke's eyes widened._

"I didn't tell her that anyone was bullying me. Is she just assuming things?"

_"Is someone at school picking on you?" The raven-haired boy said nothing. "Are there problems going on at your house?" A shiver ran down his spine and he felt his stomach sink even lower._

"Just tell her the same story you told everyone else today," _he said inwardly to himself. _"You're letting her get too close. It won't be long until she hits the nail on the head." _He opened his mouth to speak but found that he couldn't lie. Here was someone who knew he was in inner turmoil and actually seemed to care. She didn't care just because he was Sasuke, but because he was a person in pain and in need of relief. He didn't know what it was, but there was something that felt safe about her._

_"M-my brother," he stammered, staring blankly into her glassy eyes. "H-he hits me sometimes, but usually only when I don't do what he says." He swallowed hard and felt the female take his hand in her own, squeezing it gently and silently urging him to continue._

_"His friends stay at our place a lot and one of them in particular likes hitting me when my brother isn't around and says that if I say anything, I'll end up living in an adoption agency." The girl nodded and smiled meekly._

_"Then I won't say anything either," she assured him. "It will be our little secret, okay?" Sasuke forced the smallest of smiles on his face and nodded. The blonde couldn't see him nod, but knew that he had made some kind of movement and figured that he was agreeing._

_Sasuke slowly got to his feet, pulling the girl up along with him. He then bent over and picked up her cane, placing it in her hand._

_"By the way, my name is Kerri. If you ever want someone to talk, you can trust me." The raven-haired boy nodded again and thanked her._

_"Recess is going to be over in a few minutes," he informed her. "I'll take you back to your class before you get __run__ over." Kerri laughed and nodded._

_"I would appreciate that."_

_**XxooooooooxX**_

"Why haven't you been hanging around with that red-haired kid?" Sasuke asked out of nowhere. The girl clinging to his shoulder let out a deep sigh, which he interpreted as meaning there were some problems going on between them.

"I'm letting him be," she stated simply. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her, smirking slightly.

"I can see that, but why? I thought you were the one that goes around trying to make everyone cheerful. It seems like he could really use some of that."

"Yeah, he could use some cheering up, but he would rather not be bothered with the likes of me."

"Heh, you really think that?" Kerri lowered her head in sadness.

"I don't know what to think of him. I really want to befriend him, but every time I try to reach out he pushes me away. Unless he talks to me and tells me otherwise, I'm just going to leave him alone."

**XxooooooooxX**

Yumi entered her apartment, flipping the light switch on the wall so that she could see. It was past eleven o'clock at night and the psychologist was extremely exhausted. She dumped her stuff down on the chair and switched the light off again before heading to her room. Seeing light shining from beneath the door of Gaara's room, she made a side trip.

The woman lightly tapped on the door and waited for the young boy to let her in. Since he had gotten into the habit of locking the door, she couldn't just enter anymore. Gaara would have to let her in, and that's if he even wanted to. Lately, he had seemed rather depressed.

Yumi entered when she heard the sound of the lock click. Gaara was sitting at his desk, hunched over his work. The brunette was somewhat perplexed about him still being up. He had never had to stay up this late to finish his homework before.

"What are you working on?" she asked softly, trying not to sound too instigative. "You should really be sleeping by now since you have school tomorrow morning."

The redhead looked up at her, holding a tube of 3-D Glitter Glue in his hand. From the looks of it, the teen hadn't even taken his shower yet. This wasn't like him at all.

"I'm not sleepy," he lied. Yumi narrowed her eyes at the boy as he looked down at the ground with shame. He hated lying to her, but he didn't want to talk about it.

"Don't lie to me, Gaara," she sighed, running her palm down one side of her face. The intelligent teen could see the exhaustion written all over the woman's face. "If you don't want to talk about it, then just say so. I really hate it when you lie to me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just don't want to sleep and I don't want to go into any explanations about it." Yumi nodded in understanding.

"Then do you mind telling me what you're doing? It doesn't really look like homework." Gaara looked sadly at the note he had been spending hours on.

"Kerri hasn't spoken to me since that day in the office," he began. "I want to apologize and talk to her, but I can't."

Yumi smiled slightly at the boy, knowing that he had trouble with approaching people. Even during their doctor-patient sessions, she was always the one to start the conversations. Gaara was extremely introverted and needed a little nudge in the right direction when it came to social situations.

"I see," the female simply stated. "So what does that have to do with what you are doing now?" The sea-green eyed boy chewed on his bottom lip, still staring at his work.

"I'm writing her a note so that I don't have to say anything." Yumi cocked an eyebrow at him, giving him a weird look.

"How is she going to read it if she is blind?" she asked curiously. Gaara looked up at her and smirked.

"I've already thought about that and I think I've fixed that problem." Yumi smiled and nodded, chuckling softly.

"I'm sure you have. I'm not going to force you to sleep if there's something that's bothering you. We need to talk about it later if this keeps up, though." Gaara nodded. "Make sure you get a shower before it gets too late. I, on the other hand, am going to sleep."

"Good night," he whispered, smiling ever so slightly as the woman turned her back and left the room.

* * *

**_I'm so sorry about being a day late! . I just got it back from my beta-reader and I posted it immediately. I hope you all enjoyed it though. I already have chapter 30 typed up and my wonderful beta-reader will be sending it back to me shortly. I'll probably post it around the 16th of February because I won't be writing for close to an entire week. I'll be getting my wisdom teeth pulled on the 19th, so I'll be out of it for a good 5 days at least. Also, I have been starting on a completely original composition and that is going to be taking up a lot of my time, but don't worry. I'll make sure to leave time for writing this. I am completely determined to see this story through to the end._**

**_An extra-special thank you to the following people that reviewed last chapter:_**

**_Gaara frenzy, kitkat kezia, Cuzisme, panda-sensei, MidniteCurse4Eternity, and pizzaslices._**

**_It makes me so happy. Also, I got the idea for this chapter from the review Cuzisme sent me in Chapter 27 about being interested in Sasuke and Kerri's relationship. I thought that it would be interesting to clear up how the met and why Sasuke doesn't dodge her like he does with Sakura and Ino. XD I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!_**

**_PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!! IT MAKES ME SUPER DUPER HAPPY AND HELPS ME GAIN EXTRA MOTIVATION FOR WRITING THE CHAPTERS. SOME TIMES THEY EVEN GIVE ME IDEAS!! XD_**

**_REVIEW!!!!! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!!_**


	30. A New Bond

Kerri was sitting in her first period class, happily humming a song that had been stuck in her head for the past few days. It was a good song and she loved it since it always left her in a good mood. Most people would find Mozart boring, but the long-haired female found him rather entertaining, especially his symphonies. Every time she listened to one, she would hear a new part that she hadn't caught before. His pieces were always filled with little details that would usually go unnoticed, but that wasn't the case with Kerri.

Sure the female didn't listen to classical music nonstop. She could only take it in portions and would often switch between different genres. For example, one day she would listen to classical, the next day she would be listening to heavy metal, and the day after that she would be listening to some kind of country.

The blonde's humming quieted and stopped completely as a familiar being entered the classroom. Tensing up slightly as the person came closer, she nervously chewed on her bottom lip.

Gaara stood beside the blind girl's desk, nervously gripping onto a piece of paper. He knew that she was aware of him standing next to her and that she was obviously still trying to avoid him. Seeing this reaction from her only made his heart sink lower. He hated this feeling and wanted to make it stop.

Taking a deep breath, he set the paper down on the desk in front of her, making sure that she could hear him doing so.

"I-I wrote you a note," he told her softly, speaking so quietly that it was almost inaudible. Kerri, however, was able to hear him loud and clear. She could tell that he was anxious by the way his voice quivered ever so slightly and by the shuffling of his feet.

"You could've saved yourself a lot of trouble because I can't read it. Remember, I'm…" Her voice trailed off as Gaara gently took her wrist and had her run her hand over the paper. He watched as her eyes widened upon feeling the bumpy surface and released her wrist.

Kerri immediately grabbed for the sheet of loose-leaf, sliding it closer to her. Holding it down with hand, she lightly ran the fingers of her other hand over the medium-sized bumps, unconsciously mouthing the words as she read. Gaara waited nervously as an uncomfortable silence strangled him while he waited for Kerri to finish.

After reading the note through a second time, she lifted her head at Gaara. The boy was surprised to find that tears were threatening to fall. He could feel his stomach do a front flip as he thought of all the things that might have gone wrong. Had he wrote it out wrong? Did she take it the wrong way? The teen was about to turn to make a break for it, but was stopped by the sound of Kerri's voice.

"You did this by hand?" she stated questioningly, sounding a bit dazed.

"Yeah," he answered weakly. "I wasn't exactly sure how to form the words and sentences using Braille, so I hope you were able to read it alright." The girl smiled and chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"It's alright," she assured him, "I was able to read it. How long did this take you?" Gaara looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"All together, it took me between three and five hours." Kerri's eyes widened for a moment before they softened. Slowly, she got up from her seat and stood in front of the slightly shorter teen.

"No one has ever done something like that for me," she told him. "That was extremely sweet of you. Gaara, I would love to become friends with you and I'm sorry about being so cold to you the past week. I was acting really immature and I shouldn't have treated you that way." The redhead grew tense and extremely uncomfortable as the girl wrapped her arms around him and embraced him.

"I know you're uncomfortable," she told him, giggling slightly, "but I want to be able to hug you just this once. I won't do it ever again unless you give me permission." Gaara heaved a sigh but nodded in agreement.

"Fine," he breathed. Kerri grinned and squeezed her friend a little tighter, earning the smallest unnoticeable smile from him.

**XxoooooooooxX**

Gaara was sitting on Kerri's bed, leaning back against the wall as he listened to his friend play the piano. Since there friendship had _officially _begun a few weeks prior, Gaara would come over once or twice a week and would listen to the female practice. Kerri was always afraid that she was boring him since they didn't really do anything special. The twelve-year-old boy kept reassuring her that he was completely content with the way that things were presently.

"Gaara…," Kerri began as her fingers glided across the piano keys. The redhead looked at her, blinking as he did so. "Can I ask you a personal question?" Gaara stared at her with hard eyes, afraid of what the question would be.

"Like what?" he asked plainly, the natural huskiness of his voice sending chills down Kerri's spine. The girl was still getting used to it and was getting better and controlling those unwanted impulses.

"I dunno," she replied, bouncing her fingers on the keys as she played the chords. "It's just that we're friends and I noticed that we barely know anything about each other." Gaara thought about what she said for a moment, realizing that she was right.

"I guess," he sighed, sitting up and letting his legs hang over the edge of the bed.

"Where did you go to school before you moved to Konoha?" she asked, casually ending the song with a pretty trill and an A minor seventh chord. Gaara inhaled deeply, slowly letting it out. He couldn't believe that he was actually sharing his personal life with someone. After all, wasn't he the one who was afraid of revealing too much and becoming vulnerable?

"I was kind of homeschooled," he told her, his voice filled with melancholy. Gaara was very careful of how he worded his answer, not wanting to reveal to much.

"What's wrong?" asked Kerri, turning around on the bench to face her newest friend.

"I just don't really like discussing my past," he confessed, pulling his legs to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

"Well, if I ask something that makes you feel really uncomfortable, you don't have to answer it." Gaara nodded. "I was homeschooled too, up until third grade anyway."

"Because of your blindness?" Kerri smiled slightly and nodded.

"Well, I spent the first half of kindergarten at a public school but was removed after I became fully blind."

"So you weren't born blind?" The female shook her head.

"No, I lost my sight around the age of six."

"I'm sorry," Gaara apologized.

"It's alright. You had nothing to do with it and as you can probably see, I'm not letting my blindness get the best of me." Gaara smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, I can see that." Kerri laughed and folded her hands in her lap.

"Yumi isn't your real mom, is she?" Gaara's eyes saddened and he gripped onto his legs tighter.

"No, she's fostering me," he answered sadly. "I've only seen your mom…are your parents divorced?"

"No, and to be completely honest, she's not even my real mom. She's my aunt, actually." Gaara looked at her with slight surprise.

"I would've never guessed."

"I get that a lot," she replied with a slight chuckle in her voice.

Just then, the two teens were interrupted by a knock and then Kerri's aunt poked her head into the room.

"Gaara, your mom is on her way to pick you up." The boy cringed upon the woman calling Yumi his mother. She did that every time and he still hadn't gotten used to it.

"Auntie, Gaara and Miss Morita aren't blood related," Kerri whispered loudly, earning a weird look from the red-haired boy. The older woman's face masked over with slight shock and embarrassment.

"I'm _**so **_sorry, Gaara," she apologized. "You should've said something to me. Next time, don't be afraid to let me know that I'm making a mistake." The boy nodded and watched as she left.

"You didn't have to do that," he told Kerri as soon as he was sure that her aunt was gone.

"It was obvious that you weren't going to do it, so I saved you the trouble. Plus, it was bothering you so something needed to be said." Gaara shrugged and slowly stood up. He took Kerri by the forearm and led her out of the room and into the family area where the two of them waited for Yumi to arrive.

"How can you tell what I'm feeling?" Gaara suddenly asked. "Even if I don't say anything, you're still able to tell what kind of mood I'm in." Kerri bit her bottom lip and turned her head away from Gaara.

"That's something I really don't want to talk about just yet," she told him gently. "I don't want to get into that mess until we get to know each other a little better and until I know that you trust me." Gaara stared at her in confusion but nodded all the same.

"I kind of understand," he sighed. Kerri smiled and nodded. The boy looked out the window and stood up as Yumi pulled into the driveway. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kerri."

* * *

**_Hey all! I'm so happy to put this chapter up. It's going to be a while before I post again. I've been having some writer's block type of issues again, most probably caused because my mind is fixing on this original story that I'm writing. Still, I'm not going to give up on this story until it is done. I have everything planned out... I just have to find a way to put it on paper and fill in the gaps between the events. _**

**_Anyway, I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed on Thursday and I'm super busy all day tomorrow, so I had to post today. You can expect the next chapter to be up around the middle of March._**

**_A super-duper thanks to the following people who reviewed last chapter:_**

**_panda-sensei, NeferNeferi, Gaara-frenzy, Natsuki Death, Cuzisme, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Kit-Kat Punk-lover, and pizzaslices._**

**_I love you guys! As always, reviews give me a kick in the rear and get me into gear.... oh dear, didn't mean for that to rhyme. =/ Oh well. As long as you get the point, then it's all good. ^___^_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! THANKS!!!!_**


	31. Kerri's Cousin

Gaara sat in the library, waiting nervously for the high school student that Miss Kurenai had appointed to help him with his studies. The student was currently doing community service at his school and needed the extra credits. His teacher assured him that his tutor was also very bright and would be more than happy to help him.

The red-haired boy wasn't too sure about it. He was getting tired of meeting new people. It was starting to make him feel uncomfortable, especially since he was fine with the amount he knew at the moment. Naruto alone was enough at times. The hyperactive blonde had gone back to hanging out with Gaara more. Apparently, the blonde bounced back and fourth between the many friends he had, spending a bunch of time with one for a week and then doing the same thing with another friend the next. This week was Gaara's turn. Luckily, he had been able to find some means of entertainment while he studied.

"Are you Gaara?" asked a warm masculine voice. The pre-teen looked up into a pair of periwinkle blue eyes and slowly nodded.

"I'm Seiji Date," the teen introduced himself as he sat down beside Gaara and set his bag down next to him. "So what do you want to work on first?" Gaara opened up his backpack and pulled out his pre-algebra homework.

"I don't understand any of this," he sighed, dropping the book down on the table. Seiji looked at the book, smirking slightly.

"Why don't you show me what you're working on now?" Gaara took out his notebook and flipped to the right page in his textbook. "Start working problem one the best you can and I'll help you if you start struggling." The redhead nodded and began working out the exercise, Seiji watching closely over his shoulder.

Gaara was about halfway through the problem before he forcefully placed his pencil down on the table, sighing in aggravation. He slowly ran a frustrated hand through his crimson locks, inhaling and exhaling deeply. His sea-green eyes glanced up at Seiji, noticing the smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I'm guessing this is where you are having difficulty," Seiji inferred. The pre-teen nodded and watched as the blonde-haired high school student picked up his pencil. "Watch me work out the rest of the problem, okay?" Gaara nodded again and watched as Seiji wrote out the steps to solving the problem in the margin of the loose leaf paper. The blue-eyed teen then proceeded to slowly work out the problem so that his observer could comprehend what he was doing.

Gaara watched inventively, taking in everything that the older boy was doing. Little by little, everything started making a little more sense to him. He listened to Seiji's hushed baritone voice as he explained what he was doing, absorbing all the information in.

"Do you think you've got it?" Seiji asked when he finished the problem. Gaara nodded with uncertainty, causing the blonde to smile with amusement. "Try the next problem by yourself and refer to the steps I wrote out on the side if you need to." The redhead took the pencil from Seiji and started solving the next exercise in his textbook.

Gaara paused on the same spot that had given him trouble the last time. He closed his eyes for a moment, going through the process in his mind. Hesitant at first, he slowly finished the problem. His eyes would glance up at Seiji every moment or so, searching the boy's eyes for any signs of approval.

Once he finished, he set his pencil down and stared down at the paper with blank eyes. Seiji slid the paper closer to himself, quickly glancing over the younger boy's work and swiftly finding the answer in his head. Satisfied, he slid the paper back over to Gaara and flashed him a minute smile.

"Very good," he complimented, "I knew you could do it."

"I just needed it explained to me a bit differently is all," Gaara told him, feeling uncomfortable about the compliments he was receiving. Seiji noticed this and did his best to refrain from doing anything else to cause him to feel anymore out of place.

"Is there anything else that you need help with?" Seiji asked politely.

Gaara thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I think that's it for today. Are you only available on certain days?"

"I'm free every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays," the blonde answered. He motioned for the younger boy's pencil. Gaara offered it to him and watched as he wrote down his name and a number as well. "That's my cell phone number. If you need anything, homework or otherwise, feel free to call me, okay?"

Gaara looked at him with bewildered eyes. _"I just met the guy today," _he thought inwardly, _"__why__ is he willing to do all this for me?"_

"I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?" Seiji asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry about that, I always seem to do that for some reason."

Gaara shook his head. "It's fine," he assured the blonde. "I appreciate your kindness." Seiji smiled and nodded.

Both boys looked over at door to the library as someone entered. Seiji's eyes widened slightly at the familiar face whereas Gaara groaned with slight irritation. The brown haired woman that had just walked into the library glanced at the blonde, smiling sadly. She was about to say something to him but was interrupted by the red-haired pre-teen.

"I told you that I would meet you out in front of the school," Gaara reminded her, sighing slightly as he packed up his backpack. Gaara glanced from Yumi to Seiji and heaved one last sigh. "Yumi, this is Seiji, my tutor. Seiji, this is my foster parent, Yumi." The blonde-haired boy nodded.

"Yeah, I know who she is," he said softly, looking down at the ground with cheerless eyes. Gaara gave him a weird look before standing up and slipping his bag onto his shoulder.  
"It's nice seeing you again, Seiji," the woman commented, "thank you for helping Gaara." She looked down at the redhead and smiled. "I was going to wait for you, but I was just called in to my next appointment a little earlier than originally expected."

"Whatever," he huffed, walking out of the library with Yumi following closely behind. The woman flashed one last smile at the high school student before she disappeared from his sight.

**XxoooooxX**

A knock came from the front door of the homey one-story ranch house. The visitor then let himself in, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, Cuz! Sorry I'm a little late!" Kerri poked her head out of the hallway, grinning wildly at her older cousin.

"I was wondering where you were, Seiji," she giggled. The boy grinned and approached the slender female.

"Sorry, Kay. I should've called but I forgot to charge my phone before I left for school this morning. I was tutoring someone in math today. Actually, it's someone from your school I believe." Kerri's eyes widened slightly and a playful smile slowly graced her lips.

"Was it Gaara?" she asked slyly. Seiji laughed and nodded.

"How did you know?"

"At lunch, I asked him what he was doing after school. He told me that he was getting some extra help with math from a high school student. I guess that high school student was you."

"I guess it was. He seems like he's nice." Kerri smiled slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, he's really sweet. He's just really shy and very timid; he's soft spoken too, but I'm sure you picked up on that during your time with him today."

"I did notice that. He's a bit of a strange one, which is probably what drew you to him in the first place." Kerri furrowed her brow at her cousin, pouting slightly at his remark.

"That's not nice," she mumbled. "I'm not always just drawn to weird people. Besides, Gaara isn't weird. He's just another person looking for his place in life and searching for others' acceptance."

Seiji ran a hand through his golden locks, staring at the young girl through glistening eyes. "If you say so, then I believe you. You're the expert at this type of stuff anyway."

Kerri laughed and nodded. "Yes I am and you better not ever forget it either," she warned him, playfully jabbing him in the arm.

Seiji chuckled lightly and wrapped an arm around his cousin, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"You don't have to worry about that," he assured her. "There's no way I could forget." He slowly loosened his grip on the girl and crouched down so that he was at eye level with her.

"Does he know yet?" he inquired curiously.

Kerri cast her unseeing eyes to the ground, shuffling her feet sadly. "I'm afraid of what he'll think if I tell him," she timidly admitted.

Seiji smiled with understanding, brushing a strand of his cousin's long blonde hair out of her face. "I know what you mean," he sighed, "but you need to have a little bit of faith in people that you want to have relationships with."

"I already knew that, but I just don't want to lose him as a friend _again_." The older boy laughed and nodded.

"That would probably suck." Kerri frowned and nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "I don't think you have to worry about that happening again, though. Even though I just met him, I don't get the feeling that he would end a friendship over something so small."

"_You _may think it's small, but _he _might think that it's gigantic!" She made a large motion with her hands to get her point across.

"Want to know what else I think?" Seiji asked, a playful tone hinted in his voice. Kerri pouted playfully but failed to hold the posture very long before bursting into giggles.

"Alright, what else do you think?" she asked with a grin.

"I think that you are thinking too much." There was a small silence before the two blondes broke into laughter.

"That sounded lame," she pointed out, gripping her side as she continued to laugh softly.

"I know," he replied, "but you understand what I mean, right?" Kerri nodded and reached a slim hand out, searching for her beloved cousin.

"Yes, I understand. Gaara and I are going to the park after school on Friday, so I guess I'll tell him then." Seiji nodded and patted her on the head.

"Everything will work out," he assured her, "All you have to do is have a little faith."

**XxooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

_**Oh mighty sugar biscuits!!! Another chapter!!!! I didn't think this was going to turn out as well as it did. And to add to all the mix, Seiji suddenly appears out of nowhere! (You all remember Seiji, right? Touma's friend, that Seiji?) AND HE'S KERRI'S COUSIN!! Didn't see that coming, now did you? Mwahaha! I thought I was becoming too predictable so I wanted to add a little somethin' that I didn't think anyone would suspect. ^__^ Now I feel accomplished again (although I'm not too sure why…)**_

_**Anyhow… I actually finished this story two days after getting my wisdom teeth yanked (when I should've been doing my homework) but I kind of had a sudden jolt of inspiration, especially after reading the reviews.**_

_**I can't say this enough, but the reviews help SO much. They really give me the boost that I need to keep going, even when I feel down in the dumps and have so much other stuff on my mind. You all give me even more of a reason to do my VERY VERY BEST! **_

_**Thank you SOOOOO MUCH to the following people for reviewing last chapter:**_

_**Gaara-frenzy, Akasuna no Akane, Cuzisme, laaaaaaa, Natsuki Death, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Kit-kat Punk-lover, NeferNeferi, naomi-rox, and .hugs.**_

_**You all are AMAZING! I'm so happy that this story has come so far, and with so many loyal readers! I just get so ecstatic just thinking about it!**_

**_Next chapter is going to be.... interesting. I've gotten a certain suggestion from several different people, as well a questions pertaining to this certain matter (i don't wanna say what it is because then i'll give away the shocker for next week O.O). Anyway, all I'll say is that I'm giving Yumi more attention next chapter because she has kind of been missing out on the glory the past couple chapters. I'm really hoping that I can get the review counter up to 300 before chapter 33 and maybe even before chapter 32. I'll definitely make chapter 33 worth the extra reviews and 32 will be a pretty big one too._**

**_I'm hoping to get the next chapter up on the last day of March, so those of you who need a date to check back, that's when you should take a peek. ^__^_**

**_Happy almost birthday Gaara-frenzy (i don't know if I'm late, early, or right on target, but Happy Birthday anyway) ^.^_**

_**Please review! It would mean the world to me, and with the more reviews I get, the faster I am likely to post the next chapter. SO REVIEW!!!! THANKS AGAIN! ^___^**_


	32. Adoption!

Gaara stared at the stranger that stood next to Yumi and tenderly held her hand. The man's icy blue eyes looked right back at him, although they were partially hidden behind his brown bangs.

"Gaara," the woman began, "this is my boyfriend, Adrian." The pre-teen's eyes widened with shock.

_"Boyfriend? Is that why she hasn't been here lately?" _Gaara stared down at the ground with sad eyes, shuffling his feet nervously. _"I'm happy that she's found someone she can be close to, but still…"_

"I'll see you tomorrow," Adrian told her, interrupting Gaara's thoughts. The redhead watched as the man gently embraced his foster parent before making his leave. Gaara stood there, staring blankly at the door, dumbfounded by what had just happened. He didn't even notice that Yumi was standing beside him until she laid a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump in slight surprise.

"Are you upset with me?" she asked with a hint of sorrow in her voice. Gaara slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier; it was stupid of me to wait so long. We've been dating for a few months and I didn't want to tell you until you got into the swing of things. You have every right to be angry with me…"

"I'm not mad at you," he interrupted, looking up at her with firm eyes. His stare softened slightly and shifted down to the floor again. "Is he the reason you haven't been around as often?"

"Actually, I don't get to see him very often." Gaara looked back up at her, tilting his head to the side. "We go out for lunch once or twice a week and converse over the phone every now and then, that's about it."

"Sounds like you're still just friends," he muttered under his breath.

Yumi grinned and laughed softly. "Yes, I am aware of that."

Gaara scowled at her when she ruffled his hair before sauntering off into the kitchen. He stared at her back until she disappeared.

Sighing, he went to his room and shut the door, locking it as well. He collapsed on his bed and lay motionless on his stomach. His breathing slowly evened out and his sea-green eyes began to disappear behind his eyelids. Thoughts of Yumi and that strange man filled his mind, causing him to tense up. He gripped onto the covers of his bed tightly, wanting all thoughts of Adrian to disappear. If Yumi liked him, she had the right to see him. He couldn't expect her to spend all her free time with him. After all, he was lucky enough to have been saved by the woman in the first place.

Still, he missed the conversations that they always used to have together. It was nice having someone he could actually say he trusted.

Sighing, the pre-teen rolled off the bed as someone started knocking from outside his room. He flipped the lock on his door and opened it, looking up into a pair of green eyes.

Yumi smiled and walked past Gaara, taking a seat on his bed and patting the spot that was next to her. The redhead complied with her silent orders and sat down beside her.

"Interim reports came in today," she told him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with blank eyes, not really knowing what to think. "I'm really proud of you. You're doing great."

Gaara averted his eyes to the floor, feeling a bit embarrassed about the praise he was receiving. He still wasn't used to it. All anyone had ever done before was put him down and criticize him. No matter what he did, it was never good enough. Now that he was with Yumi, he was lavished with praise.

"How come you're not around anymore?" Gaara forced himself to ask.

Yumi looked at him with sad eyes, noticing the tint of hurt and nervousness in his voice. She was aware that she hadn't been spending as much time with Gaara as she used to, but she had her reasons. Gaara seemed to be doing okay. She figured that Kerri and Naruto would keep him busy enough to where he wouldn't miss her. However, it looked like that didn't turn out as well as she had hoped.

"I'm sorry, hun," she apologized. Yumi got up and headed out of the room, motioning for Gaara to accompany her. He obediently followed the older woman into her room and watched as she pulled out a thick manila folder. His curiosity grew as she placed a paper in front of him. Looking down at it, his eyes widened at the words "Adoption Certification". He stared back up at Yumi, confusion written all over his face.

"I'm only fostering you," she explained, "which means that you could be taken away and placed into a new family."

Gaara could feel his heart sinking. _"Did someone…"_

"Even though it hasn't been very long, I've grown extraordinarily fond of you. So, for the past couple weeks, I've been filling out adoption forms and doing all the works. That's most of the reason I haven't been around as often. I hope that you can forgive me for not telling you. I feel as though I've been keeping so much from you, but I wanted this to be a surprise."

Gaara was silent, sorting out all the information that had been put on him so suddenly.

"D-Does that mean…I have to call you mom?"

Yumi blushed slightly and shook her head, kneeling down in front of Gaara so that she could be eye-level with him.

"You just call me Yumi, okay? I'm not sure about you, but I like it better that way." Gaara nodded, still keeping his eyes glued hers. "This just means that you have someone that you can call family."

The pre-teen's body stiffened as the woman gently embraced him. Yumi smirked and parted from him slightly, lightly grasping onto his shoulders and keeping him just in front of her.

"Are you alright with all of this?" she asked sweetly. Gaara immediately nodded, doing his best to smile. Yumi laughed and petted his head, causing him to frown.

"You're spending Friday with Kerri, right?" she asked, changing the subject. The redhead nodded. "That's good to hear. I'm glad that you two are getting along so well."

"Me too," he responded weakly, looking down at the ground nervously.

"What's with that face? You should look happy, but instead you look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

"I'm just afraid that I'll end up messing something up," he answered with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it. If you keep fretting over little things like that, then you'll just end up missing out on something. Even if you do mess up, learn from it and don't let it up again."

"I know… it's just…"

"Gaara," Yumi laughed, interrupting him. She ruffled his hair, earning another scowl from him. "What do I have to do to get you to have more faith in yourself? I surely believe in you, but that doesn't make any difference in the world if you have any self confidence."

Gaara sighed and sat down on Yumi's bed, staring at the ground. He had always been let down in some way or another. Everything always went downhill whenever he seemed to get involved. He had gotten used to it being a way of life and always expected anything pleasant to come to a depressing end. Was it really possible to defy the odds?

"Wouldn't your brother and sister want you to live life to the fullest, even if they can't be with you in person?" Gaara looked up at Yumi, eyes wide.

"Yes, but…" Yumi hushed him, smiling tenderly as she did so.

"No matter what, if your heart tells you to go for it, then you do it. If it ends up going all wrong and you end up falling in the end, I'll always be here to pick you up and be your support. You understand?"

A faint smile appeared on Gaara's lips as he nodded slightly. Yumi grinned and embraced the pre-teen, earning a discontented grunt. She giggled and released him, knowing that she was pushing her luck.

"How about we go out for dinner tonight?" she suggested, "just the two of us." Gaara thought for a moment before nodding. The two of them hadn't done anything together in a while. It would be nice to spend time with the one person he knew he could always trust, no matter what the circumstance.

**XxoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooxX**

_**First off I want to apologize for being late to post! I really did mean to post the chapter on Tuesday, but I just couldn't get the chapter the way I wanted. I'm still not very happy with the outcome. (pouts) I also forgot that the last day of the quarter was the 27th, so that whole week was utter chaos and I wasn't able to get a single ounce of time to write. I hate how teachers like to pile crap on your plate at the last minute to make up for lost time. (sighs)**_

_**Anyway, even though it didn't turn out as well as I would've liked, I hoped you all enjoyed it. I'm excited for the next chapter or two. There will be more of Kerri and Gaara, as well as some trouble. O.O Yes, I'm going to be evil again! Mwahaha!! XD I'll hopefully be able to get it all written before spring break comes to an end, so keep your fingers crossed.**_

_**April and May are going to be super hectic for me, so I'm not exactly sure when I'll be able to post. I GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL IN 2 MONTHS!! HOLY CRUD!!! **_

_**Special thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter:**_

_**MidniteCurse4Eternity, Gaara-frenzy, Cuzisme, Akasuna no Akane, Kit-Kat Punk-lover, NeferNeferi, Rodnii, Black Claided Cat, and Natsuki Death.**_

_**Thank you all so much. 300 REVIEWS!!! AMAZING!!! I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTER WAY WORTH IT!!!! It may take me a bit longer (I'm still working out the kinks in my head and stuff and putting all my thoughts down on paper has always been the hard part), but I am going to put all my effort into making Chapter 33 COMPLETELY AWESOME!!!! Hopefully that will make up for the fact that I can never keep the deadlines I make for myself and will also give you all something to look forward to as well. ^.^**_

_**Until next time. I will hopefully have it posted sometime late April, and if not, very early May. Like I said, April and May are going to be very hectic for me, since AP exams and GRADUATION!!! are just around the corner. O.O!!! Kind of a scary thought. DX **_

_**PLEASE REVIEW!!! THE MORE REVIEWS I GET, THE MORE I GET MOTIVATED TO SPEED MY BUTT UP AND GET THE CHAPTER POSTED. XD SO REVIEW EVERYONE!!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! ^__^ PLEASE AND THANK YOU!**_


	33. A Day With Kerri

Kerri sat on her bed, brushing her hair while listening to a new CD that her cousin had given her. Seiji was always introducing her to new bands as well as getting her into new genres of music. He was more into hard hitting rock, but he always kept Kerri's taste in mind while expanding her horizons a little bit at a time.

The melodies of three cellos and a single drum sang through the speakers of her stereo. Her foot tapped to the beat of song as she ran her brush through her long golden locks. She had heard cellos before at symphonies, but never heard them playing in the manner she was witnessing on the CD. "Cello rock" is what Seiji had called it. The drums, even if it was just a hand drum (like a Congo drum), gave it that extra effect.

Kerri smiled to herself as she imagined the cellists getting into the song, their heads bobbing slightly and the musician moving with his instrument as the piece moved in and out of different intensities and dynamics. Each member of the band would have a smile on his face, playing out of pure enjoyment and losing himself to the music. That's how she always felt whenever she played and she could tell when others played with the same quality. There was just something special about the sound that could only be put there by the soul of the musician playing it.

There was a knock on Kerri's door, followed by the sound of someone entering. The pale girl smiled brightly and turned her head in the direction of her visitor.

"You're finally here, Gaara," she commented cheerfully, setting the wooden brush down on the bed beside her. "I was wondering when you were going get here."

Gaara scoffed at his friend and stuffed his hands into his pockets, an odd feeling washing over him. This happened every time he was around Kerri. Even though they had been friends for almost a month, he still hadn't gotten completely used to the feeling. He did his best to ignore it, however, since he didn't want something so trivial to cause any troubles with his friendship.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked, a scowl still plastered onto his face. Kerri giggled and stood up, walking over to her dresser, her feet guiding her flawlessly. The girl didn't need a cane to guide her since she knew the layout of the room like the back of her hand. Her dresser was exactly six steps from the end of her bed.

"I'm just that amazing," she answered playfully. Her hands blindly swept across the surface of the dresser, her fingers feeling around for something. Gaara sighed and walked over to where she was standing.

"What are you looking for?"

"A hair tie. I know I put it down around here, so where is it?" Gaara spotted it near the back of the dresser hiding from Kerri's searching fingers.

"Here it is," he told her, picking it up and slipping it beneath the girl's hand. She thanked him and smiled. Pulling her hair back, she secured it with the hair tie to form a ponytail.

"Is my ponytail straight?" she asked.

"Why does it matter? It's not like you can see it." Kerri laughed.

"But other people can and I don't want to go out with a ponytail that's all lopsided."

"It's fine," he sighed, grabbing the girl's cane from it's place at the end of her bed. "Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes, but I need to turn the stereo off first. Would you mind pressing the power button for me?" Gaara sighed once more and looked to his left, spotting the music player.

"What are you listening to?" he asked as he shut the CD player off.

"It's cello rock. I think Seiji said they were called Break of Reality. Did you like it?"

"I don't know; I'd have to listen to more of it." He gently grabbed Kerri's wrist and placed the handle of the cane into the palm of her hand. The two of them then exited her room and headed out the front door.

"You're allowed to ride the bus, right?" Gaara asked, gently taking Kerri by the forearm and leading her down the street. He made sure to keep himself in between her and the road, just in case something happened.

"My aunt said it was okay as long as I didn't go on it alone." Gaara nodded out of habit, even though he knew that Kerri couldn't see it. "Have you ever been on the bus before?" Gaara bit his lip and looked down at the ground with embarrassment.

"This will be my first time, but Yumi told me all about it." Kerri grinned and nodded happily.

"That's good. I've been on it a couple of times with Auntie so you don't have to worry."

Gaara and Kerri walked two blocks and sat down on a bench beside a bus stop. The redhead looked down at the watch that he had gotten from Yumi while he was still in the institution. It was almost one o'clock.

"The bus should be here in about five minutes," he told his friend.

"Okay," she chirped, swinging her feet back and forth.

"You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about… Do you want to tell me now or wait until we get to the park?" Kerri twiddled her thumbs together in her lap, looking ahead blankly.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you now, but you have to promise that you won't judge me right away." Gaara gave her an odd look.

_"What is it that she's so afraid __of__?"_

"Alright, I promise." Kerri sighed and slumped back against the bench.

"You know what empathy is, right?" Gaara thought for a moment before nodding.

"I think so. That's when you are able to feel what someone else is feeling, right?" Kerri smiled slightly and nodded.

"In general, yes. There are different levels of empathy though. Anyway, people that have high levels empathy are called empaths. So…I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm an empath." She continued swinging her feet, waiting for her friend's response.

"That's what you were so worried about?" Kerri blushed, looking away from Gaara in an attempt to hide it.

"I can see auras, and everyone has one that is slightly different from someone else's. That's how I can tell who and where most people are within a certain area. Along with that, I know what emotions people feel, whether they are advanced or simple. It's also pretty hard for people to lie to me…," Kerri sighed and looked down at the ground with shame. "I'm a freak."

"The bus is coming," Gaara told her after a few moments of silence. He stood up and took Kerri by the arm, leading her to the curb. When the bus pulled up and opened its doors, Gaara climbed on, helping the girl behind him. They shared a seat near the front so that Kerri wouldn't have to struggle to get off the bus again.

"You shouldn't call yourself a freak," Gaara sighed when the bus started up, heading towards their destination.

"Why not? It's true." He shook his head.

"No, it's not. Is being an empath really that bad?" Kerri sighed, still twiddling her thumbs.

"It's interesting and it's nice to be able to have another way to identify who people are. I guess if everyone was happy all the time it wouldn't be that bad, but that's not how it is. People can be pretty sad at times and it makes me feel all depressed too. That's how I ended up meeting most of my friends though, so I'm thankful for that."

Gaara looked down at the ground, feeling slightly guilty. Did he make Kerri depressed? He wasn't exactly _happy_, but was he sad?

"I don't make you depressed, do I?" he asked nervously. Kerri looked at him through unseeing eyes, looking slightly shocked. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"I'll be honest…you did at first. Actually, it was more-so pity than anything. Your aura was jet black. I could barely make it out at all. But then we started hanging out and Naruto started doing more things with us. Now you've got more color to you and it makes me very happy." Kerri smiled at Gaara, her face brightening with joy.

"What color am I now?" he asked curiously. The blonde giggled, covering her mouth with a hand as she did.

"Well, it's still not much of a color, but it's a lot easier to see now. It's grey at the moment, but once you start opening up people, it'll probably get even brighter. You've been through a lot of trouble, haven't you?"

"Yeah…wait, how can you see the colors?"

"Well, I can't really _see_ them. It's more like reading the energy level, and then imagining which color describes it best. I chose grey for you because your aura is still somewhat of a mystery to me. Your emotions are all jumbled together in a fog." She mashed her hands together in a ball for good effect, earning a tiny smirk from the redhead.

"The next stop is ours," he warned her, grabbing her arm.

"You don't think I'm weird?" Kerri asked shyly. Gaara chuckled.

"I thought you were weird from the very beginning," he admitted with a smirk, "but that doesn't bother me. I like you the way you are." Kerri grinned, taking his hand in hers and giving it a small squeeze.

"And I like you too. You are too nice to me."

"Do you want me to be meaner?" he teased as he stood up.

"No thank you," the girl laughed, following Gaara down the isle. They climbed down the big steps of the bus and started walking toward the park's entrance.

"It feels nice out today," Kerri commented with a sigh of relief.

"Mhmm," the boy agreed. "Want to go on the swings?" The girl giggled and nodded happily.

"I haven't been on the swings in forever. Let's go." Gaara led her through the park and helped her find the swing. He got on the swing next to her and they just sat there, swinging slightly.

"Gaara…?" A pair of sea-green eyes stared at the blonde-haired girl on the swing next to him.

"Hmm?"

"What were your siblings like?" A bit of sadness washed over him. It was hard thinking about his siblings, much less talking about them. He still couldn't get over the fact that he would never be able to see them again. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm sorry about bringing up any bad memories." Gaara sighed and looked up at the sky.

"They were annoying," he answered, scoffing a little. "But still…we cared about each other. They were always there for me and acted as if they were my parents." Kerri smiled and started swinging a little higher.

"I've never had any siblings," she informed him. Gaara looked up at her, watching her ponytail fly through the air as she swung back and forth. "The closest thing to a sibling I have is Seiji. Sometimes I think of him as a brother rather than a cousin. He does so much for me. It's gonna be such a bummer when he leaves for college." The blonde stopped pumping her legs and let gravity do the rest of the work.

"I'm sure he'll visit you a lot," Gaara told her, trying to cheer her up. Kerri grinned and laughed.

"You're right, Gaara," she chirped. The girl's face went blank for a moment, a thoughtful expression replacing the earlier one.

"What's wrong?" Her rosy lips curled into a smirk and she stretched her legs out, stopping the swing.

"What are you up to, Naruto?" Gaara whipped his head around and sure enough, there stood the hyperactive blue-eyed boy, grinning stupidly.

"I can never fool you, Kerri," he laughed as he grabbed onto the bar swing on the other side of Gaara. He hoisted himself, kicked his legs up and hooked them over the bar. The golden haired boy hung upside down, his shirt falling a bit, revealing his bare stomach.

"What are you doing here?" Gaara asked, giving his neighbor a weird look.

"It's such a nice day. There's no way I could stay cooped up in the house all day. Anyway, I decided to come up to the park and see who was out and about. It just so happens that you and Kerri were the first two that I saw, so I decided to come over and see what was going on."

"We're just chatting at the moment," Kerri told him, smiling sweetly. "Sasuke had a football game yesterday, didn't he?" Naruto nodded and chuckled, pulling himself up with the chains of the swing so that he was sitting upright on the bar.

"Yeah, he did. It was a good game, except for the fact that Sasuke ended up getting carried off the field." Gaara cocked his head to the side and Kerri looked unseeingly at Naruto with worry painted over her face.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

"I think he hurt his ankle, but I'm not really sure what he did to it. When I called him after the game, no one was home. He didn't answer any of my texts either. Anyway, I'm sure he's fine. He's a fast healer."

"What happened?" Gaara asked curiously. "It doesn't sound like him to get hurt so easily." Naruto laughed again and nodded.

"We were playing Kirigakure Junior High. They aren't exactly the easiest team to go up against, and they tend to play dirty. Anyway, Sasuke kind of got overwhelmed and got his footing all messed up when he tried to dodge a tackle."

"Aw, I feel bad for him. I sure hope he's alright." Naruto smiled, kicking his legs back and forth beneath him.

"Like I said, he'll be alright. Sasuke is a stubborn thickheaded jerk. Injuries like that won't keep him down for very long." Kerri giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, that does sound just like him."

"Sorry for imposing on you guys," Naruto apologized, "I hope you don't mind." Gaara and Kerri shook their heads.

"It's alright," the redhead assured him in his usual quiet tone.

"Sweet! What do you guys wanna do?"

"Doesn't matter to me," the pale boy answered with a sigh. Naruto frowned.

"Gaara, you really need to liven up a bit." Kerri giggled at Naruto's comment, causing her friend to glare at her with sea-green eyes.

"You could use some loosening up," she agreed, "but don't worry about it, Gaara. I like you the way you are." It was Naruto's turn to laugh as Kerri grinned from ear to ear.

"That sounded so corny, Kerri," he claimed, still laughing. The other boy smirked, his eyes closing a little.

"For once, I'm going to have to agree with Naruto." The slender girl pouted, causing her blonde-haired friend to laugh even harder.

"Well, I was only copying what you had said earlier," she explained, joining in with Naruto's laughter.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Kerri announced excitedly after the laughter died down. She stood up and felt for her cane on the ground.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, jumping down from the bar swing and taking his place next to the girl. Gaara followed suit and slowly stood up, waiting patiently for her to fill them in.

"Sasuke doesn't live too far from here so let's go pay him a surprise visit!" Naruto made a weird face and ran a hand through his crazy blonde locks.

"I dunno, Kerri," he began, "Sasuke doesn't really like it when I show up at his house unexpectedly. He's kind of the type that has to have everything planned out." The tallest of the trio went back to pouting, folding her arms over her chest.

"Fine, if you want to be that way, then I'll take care of it." Gaara quirked an eyebrow and watched as she dug a hand into her pocket, pulling out a glitter cell phone a second later. She then flipped it open and punched a few buttons, a small mechanical voice reading over each option as she quickly passed it. Opening the phonebook option, she scrolled through a list of names until she got to Sasuke's. She pressed the 'send' button and held the phone to her ear. It rang four times before a small voice finally answered.

_"Hello?"_

"Sasuke!" Kerri chirped, her face brightening up upon hearing the boy's voice. "Gaara, Naruto, and I are coming over." Gaara smirked, amused by her behavior. She didn't even ask him if it was okay. She merely told him what was going to happen and didn't give him much room for objections.

_"Kerri, I don't know if…"_

"You're not going to weasel your way out with some lame excuse, mister. Now, what ice cream flavor do you like? We're gonna stop by the parlor that Seiji works at on the way and we'll bring you some."

_"…__,__"_ Sasuke was silent.

"If you're not going to tell me, I'm just bringing you chocolate."

_"…That's fine."_

"Great," she chirped, "we'll be there soon."

With that, she flipped the phone shut and grinned at her two friends.

"Looks like Sasuke can't avoid you," Naruto teased, smirking in amusement. "Let's go, then. It takes about fifteen minutes to get there by foot." Kerri and Gaara nodded. The girl gripped onto the sleeve of Gaara's shirt, following him out of the park while using her cane to locate any other hazards.

**XxooooxX**

Naruto knocked on the front door of Sasuke's house, licking his ice cream cone while he waited for his friend to show himself. Gaara stood behind the golden-haired boy with Kerri, both of them slowly eating their sugary treat.

After a couple of moments of silence, the raven-haired boy finally stepped out onto the porch. His eyes were filled with nervousness, although the blue-eyed pre-teen didn't take it as much. Even if he were to mention something like this to Sasuke, the cold boy would just shrug it off as being nothing.

"I got your ice cream in a bowl," Kerri told him, holding the pink and white striped container out to him. "I didn't want it to melt and get all over the place." Sasuke nodded and took the dessert from her hesitantly. Kerri could sense the uneasiness that was surrounding Sasuke and was a little concerned about her friend.

The kids on the porch jumped slightly as the sound of glass shattering rang from inside the house. Shouting and arguing soon followed the unnerving crash. Sasuke sighed audibly, shoveling a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into his mouth.

"Is everything alright in there, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to the side. A pair of onyx colored eyes glared at him, but slowly softened and shifted their gaze to the ground.

"Probably not, but I don't really care." Gaara looked at Sasuke blankly, blinking once before looking away.

"Maybe we should leave until they're done squabbling," the redhead suggested. Sasuke shook his head, taking another bite of ice cream and swallowing it before looking over his shoulder at the door.

"My older brother doesn't like me leaving without me telling him," he muttered. Kerri smiled and sat down on the porch step, licking around the edge of her cone to prevent the ice cream from melting onto her hand.

"That's okay," she commented plainly, "we'll just stay here until the fighting stops."

"I'm fine…"

"We don't have anything else better to do," Gaara interrupted. The two boys looked at the normally silent teen, surprised that he spoke up in such a manner. The girl just grinned, eating her dessert happily. She knew that he understood her reasons for wanting to stay with Sasuke. Unlike Naruto, he wasn't as dense about these types of things.

"Gaara's right," Kerri added with a giggle. "We've been walking around aimlessly for quite a while, so now we have a reason to just sit back and relax for a bit." The raven-haired boy seemed to calm down a bit as he nodded slowly. It was obvious that he didn't particularly want to be left alone with what was going on inside his home. Kerri knew that this sort of stuff happened regularly at the Uchiha residence because of some of the people that Itachi hung out with. Still, Sasuke wasn't one to complain to others. He just put up with whatever was dished out to him, even if that meant that he would be pulled into the fray as well.

The four pre-teens sat on the steps of Sasuke's porch where they had been waiting for over an hour for the fight going on inside the house to stop. To pass the time, they were having a no laughing contest. Naruto had lost as soon as the game had started. The spiky-haired blonde found just about anything and everything to be amusing. Kerri followed not far behind him, laughing at one of Naruto and Sasuke's infamous squabbles.

Gaara and Sasuke were the only two left, unsurprisingly. Both of them didn't laugh at much which meant that the game was going to last a long time. Hoping to make it shorter, Naruto made it into a no smiling contest, which again, didn't really have much of an effect.

"Alright!" Kerri exclaimed, grinning as she came up with an idea to determine the winner. "The person that changes their facial expression the least wins!"

"What makes you think that we are going to change our facial expression at all?" Sasuke asked, his voice dripping with boredom.

"Naruto will be the judge…," Kerri continued.

"You never answered the question," Sasuke sighed. Kerri smirked evilly, giggling. She motioned for the boy to come closer and he grudgingly obeyed. Still grinning, she pulled him a little nearer still and whispered something in his ear. Slowly, the pre-teen's blank expression changed into one of pure disgust. He quickly pulled away and glared at her.

"How the hell do you know that kind of stuff!" he exclaimed, still glaring at the girl. Gaara looked at the two through slightly curious eyes.

"I'm a girl," she answered, a look of pure innocence painted over her face. "You wouldn't believe what kind of gossip goes on in the locker room at gym." Sasuke scowled at her before scooting away. He then turned his glare to the blonde-haired boy that was cracking up, but that didn't seem to do him any justice.

"On a scale of one to ten, I think that was a reaction of about seven," Naruto commented, the grin still stretched across his lips. He then walked over to Kerri and whispered something in her ear before pulling away with a smug grin on his face. The female blushed lightly.

"Are you being serious, Naruto?" she asked nervously. The golden-blonde nodded eagerly.

"I bet you'll get a reaction from both Sasuke _and_ Gaara," he confirmed, laughing still. "In fact, I _dare_ you to do it." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto.

"You better not have told her to do something perverted," Sasuke warned him. Naruto shook his head.

"It's not perverted." Kerri sighed and brought her face close to Gaara's as if she were going to whisper something into his ear. The redhead's face heated up as something soft pressed against his cheek and was slowly removed. His body stiffened and his eyes widened. He looked at the girl, noticing a light blush dusting her cheeks as well.

Naruto could be heard laughing in the background as Gaara gently touched his cheek. He then held his hand out in front of him, staring at it as if expecting to find an answer coating his fingertips and relinquish his bewilderment.

_"What was that just now?" _he wondered, confusion washing over him. _"Did she just…kiss me?"_

**XxooooxX**

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

**XxooooxX**

_**Mwahahaha! Cliff hanger!! I love being evil. ^__^ But the more reviews I get, the faster I am likely to update.**_

_**The band that Kerri was listening to at the beginning is called Break of Reality. Yes, they are an actual cello rock band. Maybe some of you have heard of them. O_o Anyway, they originated out of New York and I think they are definitely something worth checking out. They are amazing.**_

_**I may not update for awhile on account of I REALLY need to get myself more prepared for the AP English Literature exam that is coming up (Which is next THURSDAY!!!!). But, as I mentioned before, the more reviews I get, the more persuaded I'll be to post earlier. So all you people that favorite this and have me on your alert, please leave a little review too. ^__^ **_

**_A special thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_Akasuna no Akane, Black Claided Cat, Natsuki Death, Rodnii, Gaara-frenzy, Cuzisme, Kit-kat Punk-luver, and MidniteCurse4Eternity._**

**_All of you rock!_**

**_I'll try and update again sometime in May once I'm finished with AP exams._**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! THANKS! ^_^_**


	34. An Unexpected Confrontation

Gaara sat there, staring at his fingertips blankly. Naruto had finally settled down enough to say something without cracking up.

"Alright, I think Sasuke won that time, although I don't think it was very fair," Naruto announced.

"I'm sorry, Gaara," Kerri apologized softly. "It was kind of sudden and I shouldn't have done something like that." The redhead stared at her for a moment before nodding. His stomach was doing somersaults and he couldn't help but feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Don't worry about it," he told her with a small sigh, doing his best to hide his discomfort. It was probably useless in trying to hide his feelings, but it was a bit of a habit he had. "We should probably start heading back though, so we can catch the bus back." He wanted to get away as soon as he could. He wanted to be alone so he could sort out his thoughts and try to make sense of everything again.

"You guys go ahead," Naruto told them. "I think I'm going to stay here with Sasuke for a bit."

"Tch," Sasuke responded, folding his arms over his chest.

Gaara hesitantly helped Kerri up, placing her hand on his shoulder and leading her away from the Uchiha residence. The cheerful girl waved back at her friends before turning and focusing on walking without killing herself. She also couldn't help but notice the aura that was surrounding her friend. It was obvious that he was flustered and she was the one who had caused it to happen.

Kerri was just about to say something, but was interrupted by someone she didn't recognize.

"Well if it isn't Gaara Sabaku," a male voice jeered. "What are you doing out on the streets?" The redhead stopped dead in his tracks, his body stiffening and his heart racing. A slight sense of fear slowly washed over him.

"What are you talking about?" Gaara questioned, doing his best to keep his calm composure despite his growing uneasiness. "Who are you?"

The boy standing before them was a little older than Gaara and Kerri. He had spiky bleach-blonde hair with the tips dyed a dark purple. His eyes were gray and filled with anger.

"Of course you don't know me. I'm Tyler. Now, what this is about… it shouldn't really be that hard for you to figure out." Tyler's evil grin spread farther across his face as Gaara's eyes slowly widened, filled with obvious fear.

"H-h-how d-did you know…?" Gaara stammered nervously, his voice soft and disbelieving.

Kerri looked in Gaara's general direction, confusion written all over her face. "What is going on, Gaara?" she asked softly, a small hint of concern in her voice.

"Wait," Tyler intruded, raising an eyebrow and frowning as he quickly put the new pieces of information together. Moments later, the corners of his lips tugged upward into a nasty grin as he laughed. "You haven't told her yet, have you?!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at Gaara.

Kerri could feel Gaara trembling beneath her touch. It was the first time she witnessed her friend like that. Who was that Tyler person and why was he bothering Gaara?

"P-please… just leave…," Gaara began, but was interrupted.

"Are you serious?! There's no way I could leave a poor defenseless woman in the clutches of a psycho!" Gaara winced at the word. "I saw you, Gaara Sabaku, when you lashed out at that nurse two years ago. That nurse you attacked was my mom and I'll never forgive you for hurting her."

Tyler's spiteful words were too much for the young green-eyed teen. He tangled his fingers into his blood-red locks, gripping his skull as a sharp pain convulsed through his head. Despite the pain, he didn't make a single sound and didn't move from the spot he had been standing in for the past several minutes.

Kerri could feel her friend continue to tremble and felt him move his hands to his head. Her mind was in a state of stupor. She had no idea what Tyler was talking about and had no idea what to do. Something inside her was somewhat curious as to what the older boy was talking about. There was something else inside of her as well that was opposing the other feeling, telling her that something bad was going to happen if she didn't do anything soon.

"You shouldn't be out of that psycho ward," Tyler continued before Kerri had the chance to think of what to do. "You deserve to rot in there, alone and hated!"

"Shut up!" Gaara hissed, glaring up at the boy with yellow eyes. Tyler looked at him with surprise, opening his mouth to make another comment. Before he could utter a single word, Gaara had launched himself onto the boy, tackling him onto the pavement. With all the force he could muster, he brought his fist against the older boy's face and repeated the motion over and over again.

Kerri couldn't see what was happening, but she had a feeling of what it was as soon as Gaara disappeared from her touch. Confirming her suspicions, she heard the sound of something heavy hitting the roadway, followed by the sounds of fists against flesh. With tear filled eyes, she blindly rushed forward with outstretched arms, searching for her friend.

"Gaara, stop!" she cried out as her hand came in contact with someone sitting up on the ground. She grabbed him by shoulder and tried to pull him back. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Gaara had shoved her hard, sending her falling backwards onto the sidewalk. She let out a small yelp, whimpering slightly at the pain of the impact. The girl trembled slightly, the aura emanating from her friend frightening her.

_"That's not Gaara's aura,"_ she noted silently.

"Snap out of it, Gaara!" she cried out desperately one last time, "you're scaring me! Please, just stop it!"

The red-haired boy stopped suddenly, fist raised in the air. His normal eye color returned and a look of complete shock painted his features. The fist that had been ready to throw another blow dropped to his side. Hurriedly, he got off Tyler and fell backwards onto his rear. Tears welled up in his eyes and his body shook uncontrollably.

"Not again…," he whimpered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Tyler got to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"I'll never forgive you, you psycho!" the boy spat before running off.

Gaara sat there, shocked out of his mind and trembling heavily. He had just lost control of himself and lashed out another person. On top of that, the person whom he had been trying to gain friendship from witnessed that scary turn in events. She was probably afraid of him now, just like many of the others that had ever come into contact with him.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his torso from behind him, holding his trembling body tightly. Gaara's body stiffened in discomfort, not liking the close contact with another person.

"Calm down," Kerri whispered comfortingly into his ear. A shiver went down the boy's spine, causing him to feel even more unease than before. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling his heart sinking lower in his chest.

"You weren't yourself. I couldn't even feel your aura." The girl tightened her grip around the slender frame of her friend. "Does that happen a lot?"

Gaara bit his bottom lip, wondering if he should answer her question. After contemplating the inquiry a bit longer, he finally shook his head.

"No… it doesn't happen often." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. Even though he was revealing some of his secrets to her, he wasn't planning on giving her every last detail. "It's normally triggered by something—I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Gaara," she assured him as she loosened her grip on him. "I'm just relieved that you're okay."

Gaara looked down at the ground, sadness still evident in his eyes. It was obvious that he was upset about what had happened, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. Even so, he couldn't forget it.

"Look… I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be." Gaara looked up at her with confusion. "Everyone has a part of them that they are ashamed of, a side of them that is totally different from how they normally are. That part of you is usually locked away and sometimes emotions like that escape. Don't fret about it, especially when the only person that witnessed it was me. I won't tell anyone and I don't view you any differently. So cheer up, okay?"

Gaara blinked at her, completely shocked by her speech. It almost sounded like something Yumi would say. It was comforting and of course, she was right about everything.

"Thank you, Kerri," he whispered, smiling slightly. Kerri grinned and nodded.

"You're welcome, Gaara. Now, we should probably get going or else we're going to miss the bus." Gaara nodded in agreement and gently grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet with him as he stood up.

Slowly, the two of them walked towards the bus stop. Many different things were swimming through the boy's head as they ambled. He was still feeling a bit guilty about the display he had put on earlier, but was feeling much better than he had before. There were also some unusual feelings floating in him. He hadn't really felt anything like that before and did his best to ignore it. Still, his curiosity wouldn't let him forget his emotions.

* * *

**_I'm super sorry about the extra late post. T__T Graduation was last Thursday and the whole month of May was complete chaos!!! I'm so glad it's over. On top of that, I had to rewrite most of the chapter a second time because it had originally turned out like crap. . I've been becoming less busy, but the chapters have been harder to write. Still, I'll do my absolute best to put out chapters quicker._**

**_I'd like to give an extra special thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_talkstoangels77, nitrotiger17, Black Claided Cat, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Akasuna no Akane, Snowy-ninja, Poprocks311, Kit-kat Punk-lover, Gaara-frenzy, Natsuki Death, and ANBU Darkside._**

**_You all are super awesome and I deeply apologize for updating so late. I'm hoping to use this month to get a big leap in the chapters so that I can start posting regularly all the way to the end. Wish me luck on that. XP_**

**_Anyway, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up by the end of the month or at the beginning of next month. _**

**_Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and/or favorited this story. I'm really flattered and I hope to not disappoint you all in the future. ^___^_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!! MANY THANKS!!!_**


	35. I Just Don't Like Him

Naruto, Gaara, and Kerri sleepily followed behind Yumi as they walked up the pathway to their middle school. Normally, the three pre-teens would still be sleeping, but they had agreed to volunteer to help set up the carnival fundraiser that was going to be held later that day. Yumi thought it was such a splendid idea and had volunteered to help too, which meant that the three students had a ride to and from the event.

"It's too early," Naruto grumbled as he rubbed his eyes and suppressed a yawn. Gaara sighed and nodded slightly. The redhead had had trouble sleeping the past couple of nights and the symptoms of sleep deprivation were starting to catch up with him.

The four of them walked through the door and saw that others were already busily setting up different stands and decorating the school.

Suddenly, the three younger ones almost jumped out of their shoes as a thrilled eighth grader bounded up to them and greeted them cheerfully.

"I am so glad to see that you all are here to help us set up!" Lee exclaimed, giving them a thumbs up. Yumi giggled at the enthusiastic child, smiling at him and getting his attention. "I am sorry; I have not had the pleasure of meeting you. Are you here to help out as well?" The brunette nodded.

"I'm Yumi," she introduced herself. Lee grinned and nodded.

"It is nice to meet you Yumi-san. I am Rock Lee. If you talk to Guy-sensei, he will be able to tell you what needs to be done." The teen pointed to where a man with a bowl cut hair style was standing.

"Thank you, Lee." The brunette turned to the trio that stood beside her. "Meet me back here in three hours, okay?" They nodded in agreement and watched as she walked off in the direction Rock Lee had told her.

"Now, there are plenty of things that you guys can do!" the boy clad in green exclaimed happily. "Just follow me and I can put you guys to work!"

**XxooooooxX**

Gaara sighed from his spot and looked down the goofball beneath him. He was standing on a step ladder, which wasn't too high but was elevated enough to make the fall down painful. Naruto had finally woken up and was now jumping around all over the place and making the pale-skinned pre-teen extremely nervous.

"Naruto!" he gasped when the knucklehead bumped the ladder, causing him to almost lose his balance. The blonde looked up at his angered friend and grinned sheepishly. "Will you please settle down? Hand me the banner so I can get off this thing already."

Naruto obliged and gave the banner to Gaara, watching as the boy reached up and secured it into place.

"Hey, Naruto!" Kiba called out, grinning mischievously. "Think fast!" Before the blonde could even respond, he was hit in the back of the head with a basket ball. Consequently, he was sent crashing forward, completely knocking over the ladder and causing Gaara to come crashing down on top of him. The banner lazily floated down after the big collision, settling on top of the fallen boys.

"Naruto," the redhead growled, "you are so dead." The blonde yelped and scrambled out from below Gaara, showering the irritated boy with apologies.

"What's going on?" Kerri asked with an amused expression on her features. In one of the girl's hands was a dozen or so balloons. Naruto immediately took refuge behind her, pointing at Gaara frantically.

"Kiba hit me in the head with a basket ball," he began explaining quite frenetically, "and then I fell over and accidentally knocked Gaara off the ladder and now he wants to KILL ME!!"

"Are you two okay?" she asked, sounding slightly concerned for the two boys. Naruto and Gaara nodded.

"I'll live," the quieter of the two boys told her. Kerri smiled and walked over to him.

"Will you help me beautify the school entrance with these balloons? I filled them up, but when it comes to decorating, I'm not too good at it." He smirked and held his arm out.

"Sure, I've got nothing else better to do." He turned to Naruto and frowned. "Finish putting up the banner since you were the one who knocked me down in the first place."

Kerri latched onto Gaara's extended arm and he led her down the hallway towards the school entrance.

**XxooooooxX**

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Yumi chirped happily to the grouchy redhead in the passenger seat. It was a little past noon and the woman had just finished dropping the others off where they needed to go. The duo was now heading over to Yumi's boyfriend's place for lunch, which Gaara was not too keen about. He didn't want anything to do with the man.

"Yeah, maybe for you," he grumbled. "You weren't the one who was getting injured whenever you went to go do something."

Yumi glanced at her young companion, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "What exactly happened, Gaara?"

The pre-teen sighed and slid down in his seat. "Just forget about it," he sighed, "I don't really feel like talking."

"It's not just this morning that's bugging you, is it?" The redhead didn't respond. He just turned his head away from her and stared blankly out the window as the scenery sped by. "Are you upset that I'm seeing someone?"

"That's not it," he replied, exasperated. "You can do what you want. I just don't like him, that's all."

Yumi pulled into Adrian's driveway, put the car into park, and shut off the engine. A smirk graced her lips as she stared thoughtfully at her friend.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she teased, laughing gently as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Gaara, you don't really like anyone that you end up meeting."

The boy frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, taking the woman's joke seriously. He wasn't much for jokes or teasing and Yumi was always sensitive to that fact. "It's not my fault that I don't trust people as easily as you do."

Yumi sighed and laid her head back against the headrest. "I didn't mean it like that, Gaara."

"And it's not like I don't like _everyone _I meet." Yumi remained silent and let the younger one finish. "I like you, Kerri, Naruto, Seiji, and a bunch of others." Sighing, Gaara rested his head against the door.

"I'm sorry," Yumi apologized. "Just deal with Adrian this once and I won't ask you to be around him anymore, okay? I didn't realize you felt this strongly about him. Forgive me?"

Gaara looked at Yumi before rolling his eyes and scoffing at her. "Whatever; let's just get this over with." He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed the car door open.

Yumi and Gaara slowly trotted up the path towards the small one-story house. The fair-skinned woman reached out and rang the doorbell. Moments later, a brown haired man opened the door and they disappeared inside the home.

**XxooooooxX**

Yumi sat, silently watching Gaara and Adrian with worried eyes. There was a bit of regret in accepting the invitation. She should've known that the males wouldn't get along with each other unless there was a brick wall separating them.

"So… how is school treating you, Gaara?" Adrian hesitantly asked.

The pre-teen picked at the food on his plate before looking up at the man and responding. "Okay, I guess. There's nothing really special about it." His words were blunt and to the point, lacking any emotion.

"Oh, that's good. Are you keeping your grades up?"

Gaara finished chewing what was in his mouth and swallowed. "That's none of your concern," he responded coldly. Firm sea-green eyes pierced through the man that was sitting at the end of the table. Was he really that stupid? Didn't he understand that his questions were unwanted?

"Gaara," Yumi spoke up, looking at him sternly, "please be polite."

The twelve-year-old sighed. "Yes, my grades are fine," he responded, a hint of aggravation in his voice. There were a couple of moments of silence, but that didn't last long.

"Are you into sports, Gaara?" he asked.

Gaara's tolerance finally hit rock bottom. The twelve-year-old stood up abruptly, startling the adults with the sudden loud noise he made. Sea-green eyes glared at the brown haired man before slowly averting their focus to the woman.

"I'm going for a walk," Gaara told Yumi sternly. "I'll see you at home later." Without another word, he left the couple and hurried out the front door.

He felt guilty about putting on such a display in front of Yumi. She was obviously hurt by his actions and was probably embarrassed, but he really couldn't help it. There was so much about that man that made his blood boil.

"G-Gaara…?" questioned a small female voice. The redhead turned around and stared at Hinata through firm eyes, making the young girl even more nervous. "I-I'm s-s-sorry about b-bothering you on your w-walk. I j-just wanted t-t-to make sure y-you were okay. Y-You look really upset."

Gaara softened his stare and let his body relax a bit. There was nothing to worry about. It was just Hinata. She was practically the definition of harmless and was known by others to be very trustworthy.

_"I want to vent to someone," _Gaara said inwardly, _"but I don't know if I can bring myself to talk about it."_

The female seemed to have noticed his hesitance and smiled gently at him, her nervousness still making its way to the surface. "If y-you don't w-want to talk about it… y-you don't have t-to…"

"Are you busy?" Gaara inquired in his usual soft tone. He continued staring firmly into her eyes, keeping his emotionless mask in place.

The short-haired girl shook her head. "N-No… I-I'm free f-for some time. I-If y-you aren't busy, w-would you l-like t-to come over m-my house f-for awhile?"

Gaara nodded and the fair-skinned girl smiled again, motioning for her new companion to come along. The slender boy complied, walking alongside Hinata in silence.

After about five minutes, the two pre-teens were walking up the trail to the Hyuuga manor. Hinata invited the quiet boy inside and proceeded in taking her sandals off by the doorway. Gaara did the same, laying his shoes neatly beside hers.

"W-Would you like something to d-drink?" the young hostess asked politely. The guest shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Okay… w-we can go up to my room if y-you want."

"That's fine," he murmured. Hinata motioned for him to follow her upstairs, and she led him into a medium sized room. The walls were painted in a pastel shade of purple, giving the room a light feeling to it.

"Y-You can sit down," Hinata offered, pointing at the chair that was in front of the desk.

Taking one of his hands out of his pockets, he pulled the chair out and slowly took a seat. Hinata plopped down on her bed, nervously glancing up at Gaara every now and then.

"G-Gaara…? Umm…do you w-want to talk about earlier?" the girl asked nervously. The redhead watched as she twiddled her fingers in her lap, obviously uncomfortable about bugging him about the subject.

Gaara was silent for a moment, pondering over how he wanted to word everything. Did he even want to tell her?

"I really dislike Yumi's boyfriend," he confessed with a sigh.

"How come?" Hinata pressed on gently.

Gaara sighed again, running a hand through his crimson locks. "He reminds me of someone I despise."

The dark-haired girl blinked, not knowing what to say. "Umm…d-did you try telling Yumi…?"

"She likes him," Gaara interrupted, staring blankly at the carpet. "If I told her why he bothered me so much, I could ruin her relationship and end up hurting her."

Hinata nodded in understanding. "If she really likes him that much, then nothing you say c-could change that."

The two of them were silent for a while. Gaara mulled over everything Hinata had told him, knowing that she was right. It was still going to be difficult confronting the older woman about something so hard to explain.

_"I can't even go into detail about it," _he told himself. _"He reminds me of my dad, but I honestly can't explain how, except for the fact that he kind of looks and sounds like him. Yumi will probably end up saying 'you can't judge a book by its cover' or something like that."_

"G-Gaara…? Would you like to p-play a game of cards with me? If you want, I c-could get Neji and the three of us c-could all p-play a board game too." Gaara mustered a tiny smile, thankful for the change in subject, and nodded.

"What ever is easiest for you."

**XxooooooxX**

Gaara walked into the apartment later that evening and wasn't at all surprised to find Yumi sitting on the couch, obviously waiting for him. Sighing, Gaara sat down in the arm chair and started mentally preparing what he needed to say to her.

"You were really rude to him, Gaara," she told him, her voice coated with sadness. "I know you don't like him, but you only had to deal with him for an hour. Why did you have to blow things out of proportions?"

Gaara inhaled deeply and looked Yumi directly in the eyes. "He resembled my dad," he told her plainly. The woman's emerald green eyes widened with shock, causing Gaara to turn his head away with discomfort.

"Gaara," she breathed, standing up and approaching her friend. The redhead tensed up as he was pulled into an embrace. "Why didn't you tell me so before?" She kept her hold on him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I don't really like talking all that much if you haven't noticed already." Yumi laughed and released the pre-teen, smiling gently at him. "Well, if something like that ever happens again, inform me softly that you're leaving. It creates less of an awkward atmosphere that way."

"I'm sorry," Gaara apologized.

Yumi nodded and pet him on the head. "Don't worry about it, Gaara."

* * *

**_Well, this wasn't as long of a wait as the last update was. I'm slowly getting over my slump, which has been keeping me from being able to write at all. It really sucks and I'm really trying to overcome it. I did for a little while and was able to get 2 chapters done before slipping again. XP I'm trying to think of a chapter 37 that will get me really motivated and will hopefully cause a chain reaction and let me be able to write chapter 38 as well. And if you haven't guessed it already, I already wrote chapter 36. ^__^ I will post it on July 6th and I will hopefully have a couple more chapters done by then as well so that I can make more regular posts._**

**_I want to give an extra special thanks to the following people who reviewed last chapter:_**

**_nitrotiger17, Gaara-frenzy, Me and Gaara 4ever, ImmatureLady, Black Claided Cat, Kit-Kat Punk-Lover, MidniteCurse4Eternity, NeferNeferi, and pizzaslices._**

**_You guys are amazing. All of your reviews have been the biggest motivator for me and I can't say thank you enough. ^__^_**

**_Until next time!!!_**

**_-Kari_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! :)_**


	36. Naruto's Birthday Party

Gaara stared at the card in his hand before looking up at Naruto with uncertain eyes.

"What is this for?" he asked, waving the card in front of the blonde.

"It's an invitation to my party on Friday!" Naruto beamed proudly. "I'm surprised Yumi hasn't told you about it. It's going to be a sleepover and Yumi offered to house all the girls while all the guys stay over at my place."

"So in other words, I really don't have a choice."

"You guessed it!"

Gaara sighed and palmed his forehead, running his hand down his face. "How many people are going to be there?" The pale boy still had trouble with big crowds in small places, and Naruto's apartment wasn't really that big.

The hyperactive pre-teen thought for a moment. "Let's see… I invited Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kerri. Choji already had plans with his family and so far, Shino is refusing to come. Kiba is trying to convince him otherwise, but he'll probably be a 'no-show'. Wherever Hinata goes, Neji usually isn't too far behind, so he'll probably be there…"

"Just tell me how many people you think will be there," Gaara interrupted, growing more and more impatient by the second.

Naruto immersed himself in deep thought and started using his fingers, mouthing out the names of people as he tried to get an idea of who would be there.

"I'd say between seven and ten people," he estimated, "but definitely no more than ten. Iruka told me ten was the most he would allow."

Gaara nodded. That was a little bit too many people for his liking, but 75 percent of them were rather laid back people. The only two people that he knew were going to get on his nerves were Ino and Sakura. Whenever those two were put in the same room together, about 9 times out of 10 some type of fight would occur.

"Are you worrying about Ino and Sakura?" Naruto asked, quirking an eyebrow and smirking broadly. "Ino probably won't even show because she has to help her parents out at the flower shop the next day. Even if she does end up coming, everyone knows to keep those two on separate sides of the room and away from Sasuke."

Gaara smirked and Naruto laughed.

"Why do they have such an obsession with him anyway?" Gaara asked.

The blonde scratched his head, trying to think of a reasonable answer. "I guess girls like the heartless guys that couldn't give a crap about them. Either that or it's because he looks emo."

"Is he?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not that I know of. Anyway, everyone will start showing up around six thirty. Oh, and you don't have to get me anything either, okay? I just want you to come."

Gaara smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever."

"Sweet! And one more thing." Gaara looked at him, waiting for him to finish. "You have to play truth or dare with us. We always play it at my parties and everyone is required to play. Sasuke even plays, surprisingly enough."

The redhead shrugged again. "Whatever, I don't really care."

**XxooooooxX**

"Okay, everyone!" Naruto announced, standing in the center of the circle. The loud talking subsided and all eyes were on the perky blonde. "While everyone is still here, we have to get a few rounds of truth or dare in!"

"You're still into that game?" Sasuke asked, smirking at his friend.

"Since this is my thirteenth birthday, this is the last time. It is kind of getting old, but what the hell! One more time for old time's sake."

"Alright then," Kiba agreed with a grin. "State the rules Naruto and start off!"

Naruto brought his index finger to his chin and thought deeply. "Alright… no nudity, otherwise Iruka will kill me." Hinata blushed and the others just rolled their eyes at him. "Obviously, no dares that could get end up getting someone killed. And also, no daring someone to molest another person because Neji will kill you." A few people laughed and the Hyuuga boy glared daggers at party's host.

"Then anything else goes, right?" Kiba asked. Naruto nodded.

"Whatever," Shikamaru sighed. "Naruto, just go and get this over with."

"Alright then, you lazy jerk! Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Shikamaru answered with a yawn.

"Aw," Sakura whined. "You're no fun, Shika."

The lazy pre-teen shrugged and sunk back into the cushions. "You should've known I wouldn't have chosen dare."

"He's right," Kerri agreed with a smirk. "He's to lazy to do anything but answer a question, and even that is a bit too much for him."

Shikamaru smiled lightly and nodded. "Looks like we have a winner!" he exclaimed with false excitement. "Now would you hurry up and ask your question, Naruto? This whole game is really troublesome."

"I don't know… has your mom ever actually stuck to her guns and kicked you out of the house for being lazy?"

"Yeah, but only once."

Naruto sighed. "Well, that was a complete waste of a turn. Go, Shikamaru. It's your turn."

"Sakura, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she answered bravely.

The tired looking boy thought for a moment, closing his eyes and folding his hands in front of him. "Sakura, I dare you to take scissors to your hair and cut it at least to your shoulders."

The pink-haired girl's eyes grew big before narrowing into little slits, glaring at the brown haired boy.

"You are such a horrible person," she growled.

Shikamaru grinned mischievously. "You're the one who picked dare. Don't go blaming me."

Sakura growled at him again before heaving a sigh and turning to Naruto. "Where are your scissors?" The blonde laughed and scampered off into the kitchen.

**XxooooooxX**

"Okay guys," Naruto interrupted, "we only have enough time for two more rounds. And no more picking on Sakura, please. It's getting kind of lame." The group laughed and Sakura just pouted. "Okay, Sakura, choose someone."

"Kerri, truth or dare?"

The blind girl perked up slightly from hearing her name called. She was slightly surprised that Sakura remembered that she was even playing.

"Dare, I guess," she answered uncertainly, fingering the hem of her skirt out of boredom.

Sakura turned to Naruto and Sasuke, receiving a simple nod from the raven haired boy and a big grin from the blonde. Her lips slowly curled into a grin as well and she giggled slightly. "Okay, Kerri, I dare you to lock lips with Gaara for ten seconds."

A few giggles were heard as both Kerri and Gaara blushed deep red. The surprised boy eyed Kerri, watching her stare unseeingly at the ground.

"What if Gaara doesn't want to?" she asked shyly.

"He doesn't have a choice. A dare is a dare," Sakura pointed out. "Here, let's do it the other way around. Gaara, I dare you to lock lips with Kerri for ten seconds. Either way, there's going to be some lip locking."

The redhead sighed with aggravation and moved in front of Kerri, placing a slightly shaking hand on her shoulder. Kerri could sense his discomfort and felt really bad about involving him in yet _another_ embarrassing moment.

_"Why are they always making Gaara and I…__?__"_

Before she could finish her thought, warm lips were suddenly crushed against hers. The owner of the lips had obviously never kissed someone before, but it was Kerri's first time as well.

Gaara's eyes were tightly shut and his cheeks were tinted with a light shade of red. He knew that Kerri was probably blushing as well but he didn't want to see, since he knew that would probably make him blush even deeper.

"Okay, you two!" Sakura announced. "Time is up."

Gaara slowly broke the kiss before quickly making some distance between him and Kerri. His cheeks were still burning and he could see that the blonde girl was blushing slightly too.

"You know you could have given me more of a warning," she murmured, bringing her fingertips to her lips.

"Sorry," Gaara apologized, doing his best to hide his embarrassment.

"Alright, Kerri," Naruto interrupted, chuckling slightly. "You get the last turn of the night."

"Sasuke, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to tie your wrist to Naruto's and to leave it that way until after breakfast tomorrow."

The two boys stared at her with wide eyes while the others around her all burst into laughter.

"Are you serious?!" Naruto steamed. The blind girl nodded, smiling innocently. "That is so cruel, Kerri."

"Oh well, you'll get over it. And Neji will make sure you guys stick to it while I'm not here."

Neji smirked and nodded.

**XxooooooxX**

The next morning, everyone got back together at Naruto's place for breakfast. Sakura almost keeled over from laughter when she saw Sasuke and Naruto still attached to each other.

"So I'm guessing that they actually stuck with it," Kerri commented with a giggle. Gaara was at the opposite end of the table, ignoring everything that was going on. He didn't really want to see Kerri at the moment. He was feeling too confused and just didn't want to see her yet.

Kerri could feel his disheveled aura and understood how he felt. She was feeling the same way, but she couldn't let that show. Who knows how everyone else would start feeling if she let herself give into her own inner turmoil. She would need to talk to Gaara about it later on when they had some privacy. Until then, she could take her mind off of it by poking fun at Naruto and Sasuke. Poor unfortunate souls.

* * *

**_Okay, so I realize that this type of thing has been done (quite a lot actually). But I felt that I was able to get things cooking a little more between Gaara and Kerri. Now they have to do some serious thinking. Hahaha!_**

**_So I have chapter 37 done and I need to send that over to my beta-reader. However, it might take me longer to post it because I am pretty displeased with it. It seems that no matter what I do to improve it, nothing works. So unless I come up with something better, I guess I'm just going to have to settle for what I have._**

**_I want to give a BIG SPECIAL thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_Black Claided Cat, Akasuna no Akane, Gaara-frenzy, Me and Gaara 4ever, Kit-Kat Punk-lover, MidniteCurse4Eternity, and pizzaslices._**

**_I also want to thank my friend Hannah (aka 400 babies) for reviewing as well. ^___^_**

**_All of you guys are super duper amazing. You guys give me so much support and I'll never be able to say thank you enough. And for all you people who have this story on your favorites or on your alert list, you guys are pretty darn awesome too. It would be even more awesome if I could get a review from those people, but I'm happy either way. _**

**_I'm going to be leaving in a couple of weeks to go on a little trip. I'll hopefully have the next post up before I leave. Two weeks should give me enough time. So if you REALLY want me to post before I leave, make sure to REVIEW!!_**

**_Thanks again to everyone!!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!! THANKS!!!! ^___^_**


	37. Halloween Corn Maze

"Are you sure you don't want to take an extra jacket?" Yumi asked the red-haired boy standing in front of her. She had been pressing him on this matter for over five minutes already. Why couldn't she just take no for an answer? It wasn't like he was going to freeze to death, but she obviously saw it differently.

Sighing, Gaara took the jacket Yumi had been holding out to him. "I'll take it, just in case," he told her, doing his best to hide his aggravation. The woman smiled and the two of them were on their way.

The car ride wasn't any better. Yumi kept asking him the same questions over and over again. She made sure that he knew what time his curfew was, where he was going to be, who he was going to be with, and how to reach her if he ended up needing anything.

"You never make this big of a deal any other time I go out," Gaara commented.

"Well, tonight is different," Yumi told him. "It's Halloween and there's a bunch of stupid people out partying."

The pre-teen smirked. "It's not like I'm one of those stupid people."

Yumi laughed and nodded. "I know that. I just want you to be safe."

Gaara was dropped off at the Hyuuga manor and he slowly walked up the walkway. Hinata, Kerri, and Neji were patiently waiting on the porch for him.

The redhead looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet nervously. He still hadn't completely gotten over the awkwardness between him and Kerri. It wasn't like he wanted it to be that way, but it was something that couldn't be helped. Kerri was understanding about it and allowed him to have his space, which made things a bit easier.

"So…," Neji started, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "We should head over to Sasuke's so we don't piss off his brother. We're lucky enough that he's willing to give us a ride."

Kerri snickered and Neji glared at her.

"What's so funny?" he asked with irritation.

"You think that being in a car with Itachi as a driver is a good thing?" she asked with a sly smirk.

"What are y-you talking about?" Hinata asked out of curiosity.

"You'll find out!" she chirped as she slowly walked ahead of the group, her cane guiding her down the path.

**XxooooooxX**

A car screeched to a halt and four kids practically flew out of the car. The blind girl was the only one who calmly got out and smiled at their "wonderful" driver.

"Thanks for the ride, Itachi," she thanked him sweetly.

The older Uchiha waved her away nonchalantly. "Whatever," he responded plainly. "I'll be back for you guys in three hours. Sasuke, if I have to come out and find you, there will be hell to pay."

The younger brother shrugged and turned his back to the long-haired man. "Whatever," he sighed, "we'll be waiting for you then."

With a loud screech, the car flew out of the parking lot and back onto the street, leaving behind the sound of car horns blaring angrily.

"Why didn't you tell us your brother was an insane driver?!" Neji demanded, still looking slightly shaken from the crazy ride.

"Lighten up," Sasuke replied with a smirk. He started walking towards the entrance of the corn maze. "It's Halloween. You should be up for a good scare."

The Hyuuga boy growled, slowly following the raven-haired leader. Kerri and Hinata followed behind Neji with Gaara heading up the back of the group.

"Did you b-bring a flashlight, G-Gaara?" Hinata asked softly. The quietest member of the group shook his head. "Y-You can share with K-Kerri and me."

"Thank you."

The five kids paid their admission and turned on their flashlights, meeting each other in front of the field. The only one who didn't have a flashlight, of course, was Kerri.

"Are we going to split up and see who can get to the other side first, or are we going to stick together?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"L-Let's stick t-together," Hinata spoke up nervously.

Kerri nodded in agreement. "We really shouldn't test your brother's patience. And besides, who knows how long it will take to get to the other side if we end up getting lost."

Sasuke sighed, biting his bottom lip while deeply contemplating what to do. "Whatever, if you want to stick together, then we'll stick together. Itachi hasn't been in the best of moods lately, so I don't really want to go against his warnings either."

"Then let's go!" Kerri chirped, taking the lead. The four behind her watched with amusement as she walked right into the cornfield, missing the path completely. Pouting, the girl kicked the dusty ground. "I already hate this! There's nothing to help guide me!"

"Calm down," Neji teased as he approached the seething girl. "I'll help guide you, but no more temper tantrums."

Kerri exhaled deeply and nodded. "Fine, but if you even think about trying to scare me, I'll take your head off." Hinata giggled at the comment while Sasuke and Gaara smirked.

"I'm not that mean," Neji told her with an innocent smile plastered on his lips. "And besides, there are plenty of people hiding out there to do that for me."

Kerri smirked and laughed. "I'll still take your head off anyway."

"Better watch it, Neji," Sasuke teased. "I think she's out to get you."

The group stopped when the path split into two different directions. One veered to the left and the other to the right.

"W-Which way d-d-do we go?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"I say we split up," Sasuke commented with a smirk.

"I thought we were going to stick together!" Kerri pointed out.

The raven haired boy shrugged. "Well, there are two ways to go. We might as well go a different way. And who knows, it might be more fun that way. I'm going left."

"Then I'm going right," Kerri said with a grin. "I wouldn't want to be stuck with the likes of you."

Sasuke growled, frowning at the girl. "Fine, go whatever way you want. Make sure you take someone with you though."

"Gaara," Kerri began as she pulled away from Neji, "will you please come with me?"

The redhead thought for a moment before holding his arm out to Kerri, allowing the girl to latch on. "Is anyone else coming along?" he asked softly.

"I think I'm going to go with Sasuke," Neji told him. "That gives me more of a chance to give Kerri a wonderful surprise at the end of the maze." Kerri stuck her tongue out at the Hyuuga boy, causing him to laugh softly.

"I'm g-going with N-Ne-Neji," Hinata told him. "T-take my f-flashlight, Gaara." The shy girl held out the light and Gaara thankfully took it.

"Then let's go!" Sasuke called out in a bored tone, leading the way. "We'll meet you guys at the end!"

Gaara sighed and took the path to the right with Kerri walking beside him. Once he was certain that the others weren't anywhere near them, he finally spoke to his companion.

"You got Sasuke to do that on purpose just to get me alone with you," he stated. It wasn't a question. He knew all too well that she had probably planned out everything ahead of time.

"We haven't said a single word to each other for several weeks," Kerri told him sadly. Gaara nodded, biting his bottom lip and stopping when the path split into different directions again. "I think we had enough time sorting out our thoughts. We really need to talk."

"Okay." The young boy heaved a sigh as he came to a split in the path. "Do we keep going straight or turn right?"

"Right," Kerri answered confidently. The two of them turned down the path to the right and continued walking. The girl could feel Gaara's nervous energy, making her want to get this over with quickly. "Is everything between us still okay? You're not angry with me or anything, are you?"

Gaara looked at the blonde with slight shock. "No, I wasn't," he told her firmly. "What about you? You could've come to talk to me at any time, but you waited this long to say something."

"I wasn't angry, just a little confused," the girl admitted, "but I think I finally came to a conclusion." Kerri smiled gently and looked down at the ground.

"And that would be…?"

The blonde nervously bit her bottom lip before answering. "I really like you."

The slightly shorter pre-teen slowly came to a halt, his cheeks growing warm. He wasn't sure what to say. Even though he had spent an endless amount of time thinking about it, he was still confused about his feelings. After all, nothing like this had ever happened to him. All these emotions that were swimming through his mind were so foreign.

"This is new to me and…" The nervous teen went silent upon feeling Kerri give his arm a small squeeze. He looked at her with confusion in his eyes.

"This is new to me as well," she told him softly, still squeezing his shoulder gently.

"So… does that mean we're a _couple_?" Gaara's blush deepened as he spoke. He wanted to pull away from Kerri and wanted to put some space in between them. It was awkward to be asking something like that. Just having someone to call a friend was new to him. Referring to someone as his girlfriend was new to the second degree. He wasn't even sure what that type of relationship entailed and he sure as hell wasn't going to ask Yumi about something like that.

Kerri's blush deepened as well as she thought for a moment. "Gaara…my boyfriend…," she murmured to herself.

Gaara's eyes widened and his face reddened even more. The teen was sure that his face was the same color as his hair at that point.

Kerri sighed and shook her head. "I don't like it."

The redhead stared at his friend in confusion. A part of him was relieved that she felt that way, but at the same time, he could feel his heart sinking. Nothing had been this bewildering before. He knew that he really liked Kerri a lot, but something about referring to her as his girlfriend didn't feel right.

"Gaara…I love you and all, but it's kind of awkward thinking of us as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Yeah," Gaara agreed with a light sigh, "I know what you mean."

"Do you feel the same way about me?"

The boy looked down at the ground with nervous sea-green eyes, shuffling his feet in the dirt. "Love… I don't…" Gaara sighed and ran a hand through his hair in slight frustration. He couldn't answer that question with any true confidence. Was love the right word to use? Did he really love Kerri?

"Gaara, it's alright if you don't love me."

The boy shook his head. "That's not it. It's just… I don't really know right now." Kerri nodded in understanding, sensing how deep Gaara's confusion ran. "I like you a lot, but…"

"It's okay, Gaara," Kerri interrupted, smiling gently. "I've got my thoughts cleared up for the most part, and soon, yours will clear up as well."

Gaara smiled very slightly and nodded. "So… we are…"

"We are two people who care about one another," Kerri finished, "and let's leave it at that. If something is going to happen, then it will happen. I just like being with you and knowing that you'll be there for me when I need you."

Gaara smiled and the two of them started walking again. "I do too," he whispered. Suddenly, they came to a dead end. The redhead scowled and Kerri giggled.

"I hate mazes," the boy grumbled.

"You're only saying that because you didn't go the right way," the blonde teased.

Gaara smirked. "Maybe, but you don't have any proof."

Kerri laughed as they headed back the way they came.

* * *

**_Yay! I was able to post this before I left! WOOT! It's kind of surprising, actually, since I re-did certain parts of this several times. I'd like to thank my wonderful Beta-Reader, NeferNeferi, for the suggestions to help improve this chapter. I hope I was able to improve it a little more. Lol._**

**_I have no idea how I came up with the corn maze idea. I'm kinda planning the chapters out based on a month to month basis, and that was the last of the October stuff. And plus, I love corn mazes! ^.^ They are so much fun, and they are even more fun when you are trying to get "unlost". Hehe._**

**_I started writing the next chapter, but I think that I'm going to be using it as a later chapter instead of for chapter 38. I'd say to start looking for it around Friday, July 31st. I'll hopefully have something completed and beta-ed by then._**

**_Now, a BIG special thanks to the following people for reviewing:_**

**_Me and Gaara 4ever, Akasuna no Akane, Thegoldenlock, Gaara-frenzy, ProfilingXCSIXMyXCareer, Black Claided Cat, SakuraDreams92, MidniteCurse4Eternity, and Kit-Kat Punk-lover._**

**_Thank you all. I loved reading all of your reviews and especially enjoyed the specific comments that people made. It makes me so happy and gets me so pumped to start writing another chapter. Thank you all again. ^__^_**

**_REVIEW PLEASE!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! :D_**


	38. Thanksgiving Break

Gaara sat at his desk, silently doing the assignment Kurenai-sensei had given them. His eyes glanced back and forth between the history book and the worksheet that he was working on. He hated doing busy work, but he didn't really have much say in the matter.

Someone tapped on his shoulder, causing Gaara to almost jump out of his seat. He wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. There weren't very many times that he had been bothered during class. Everyone just let him be and he actually appreciated it.

Sighing, he turned around in his seat. He raised an eyebrow at the smiling boy. "_Why is he even smiling at a time like this?"_ Gaara wondered. _"Nothing is even happening."_

"What do you want, Sai?" Gaara asked, being sure to keep his voice at a whisper.

The pale boy didn't utter a word. Instead, he held out a carefully folded small piece of paper. Gaara reached out and took the note before turning back around in his chair.

The redhead looked up at the front of the class, making sure that Kurenai was busy. Deeming it to be safe, he carefully unfolded the paper and quickly read it over.

**XxoooxX**

_Gaara,_

_You are quite the artist. I like art too, but painting is more of my suit. Anyway, Haku and I would like to ask for your assistance on something. Could you meet us after school in the art room?_

_Signed,_

_Sai_

**XxoooxX**

Gaara sighed and folded the note back up before shoving it into his pocket. He turned slightly and gave the pale boy behind him a slight nod. Gaara then went back to work, finding where he left off in the horrendously boring text book. Why did text books have to be so tedious?

Twenty minutes went by and the bell finally rang for the switching of classes. Gaara gathered his things and followed the crowd as they bustled out of the room. The school day slowly continued. His last period was the only class that he enjoyed attending, and that class was art.

There was something about art that soothed Gaara. He enjoyed drawing the most, especially with charcoal. Even before he began taking the class at Konoha Junior High, he had turned to art as an outlet. While he had still been in the psychiatric hospital, he had drawn a lot. Yumi was very supportive of him and always made sure that he had enough paper and pencils to get him through the week.

Once Gaara started taking classes, he had to do a lot of projects that were outside of his comfort zone. Drawing was a simple task for him and he felt that he was decent at painting. His art teacher introduced print making to him and he was somewhat decent with that, according to his teacher anyway. He personally didn't like how it turned out.

There was one thing Gaara absolutely dreaded working with. Clay. No matter how much time and effort he spent on sculpting something, he could never get it to come out right. It frustrated him to no end.

After art class, Gaara went to his locker and gathered his things before heading back to the art room to wait for Haku and Sai.

Gaara waited about five minutes, growing agitated after not seeing either Sai or Haku. He was beginning to think that they had just forgotten, so he was just going to leave and try to catch his bus so that he didn't have to cause Yumi anymore trouble.

Just as the fair-skinned pre-teen shouldered his backpack to get ready to leave, Haku came into the room. He smiled sheepishly as Gaara sighed and put his book bag back down.

"I'm really sorry," Haku apologized. Gaara nodded and propped his chin up in the palm of his hand, his elbow resting on the table he was sitting at. "I was looking for Sai so that we could meet up with you."

"And where is he?" Gaara asked nonchalantly.

Haku chuckled nervously, running a hand through his long brown hair. "He's in detention at the moment and won't be out for another half hour."

The normally quiet teen raised an eyebrow at Haku. "What did he do?"

The feminine looking boy shrugged. "I'm sure he just got smart with another teacher. That seems to be one of the main reasons he's always on the teachers' list."

Gaara nodded lazily. "I can't stay long. Do you just want to meet tomorrow?"

Haku smiled and shook his head. "We just wanted to ask you a quick question and it's not entirely necessary for Sai to be here."

"Whatever. Then what was it that you wanted to ask?"

The brown-haired boy walked over to Gaara and took a seat at the table beside him. "We were wondering if you would like to work with us on a conjoint art project," he stated simply.

"And you are asking me this because...?"

"Well, you remember how we took a field trip to the art museum a couple weeks ago?" Gaara nodded. "Kerri came along too, and I felt kind of bad for her since she wasn't able to see any of the beautiful art pieces or anything."

The redhead remembered that. It had been before Naruto's whole birthday party thing. He had hung around with Kerri while they toured the museum. Even he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the girl.

"So what were you two thinking?" Gaara asked, slightly interested.

"Sai came up with the idea to make an art piece especially for her. He said that you were a good artist and he knew that you were friends with Kerri. We would love it if you were to help us." Haku flashed the redhead another smile, his chocolate brown eyes glittering with delight.

"I think she would like that," Gaara commented softly. "When are we going to work on it?"

"Kerri's birthday is in December and Thanksgiving Break is only a week away, so we would probably get together sometime after break."

Gaara nodded and looked up at the clock that was hanging on the wall. "Sounds like a plan," he told Haku as he picked up his backpack. "I have to go now. Call me sometime with a time and place and I'll help out."

"Of course!" Haku replied cheerfully. "Have a good night, Gaara. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

The redhead raised his hand in recognition and left.

**XxooooooooooooooooxX**

Thanksgiving break had finally come and along with it came travel. Every year, Yumi would travel five hours north to visit her parents and to stay for Thanksgiving with her family. That year was no exception. The only difference was that she had a companion with her this time.

Gaara wasn't too fond about meeting the rest of Yumi's kin. Although the woman treated him as if he were a part of it, he still didn't entirely feel like he belonged and felt awkward about attending a family gathering. The young boy didn't have much say in the matter, however, so he had to endure the five hour drive with Yumi.

During most of the ride, Gaara just caught up on his reading for school. But the book only kept him occupied for the first three hours. The remaining two hours were hell. Yumi tried to keep a conversation going with him, but that didn't work very well. Trying to keep a conversation going with Gaara was a difficult task since he wasn't much of a talker.

Eventually, the bored redhead dozed off and slept for the remainder of the car ride. When the duo reached their destination, Yumi gently tapped the redhead on the shoulder, waking him up sweetly. She smiled at the boy as he opened his eyes and groaned sleepily.

"Have a nice nap?" she asked cheerfully.

Gaara nodded and looked out the window through tired eyes. "We here?" he asked.

"Yep!" Yumi got out of the car and opened up the trunk, taking out the bags.

The younger of the two remained in the car for a moment, observing the scenery through the window. From what he could see, they were basically out in the middle of nowhere. There was a large expanse of land out into the horizon in every direction. The only other homes he could see looked as if they were just little dots. They were far away, at least two or three miles.

Gaara got out of the car and took a better look at his surroundings. The land was almost completely flat and there weren't even any hills surrounding the area in the distance. To his right, there was a trail leading off to some woods far away. To his left was a path leading up to a large ranch house. There were a few trees on the property, but not many.

The pre-teen shivered as he was hit with a cold blast of wind. Unconsciously, he clutched his jacket around him tighter as he walked around to the back of the car to help Yumi unload the trunk. The woman handed him his things and shut the trunk before picking up her own bags.

They had started walking up the walkway when the front door to the ranch house opened and an elderly woman came rushing out. She wrapped her arms around Yumi, hugging her tightly. Gaara watched as the two women grinned and laughed as they held each other.

"It's good to see you again, Yumi," the woman commented happily. "How was the drive?"

"I'm happy to see you too, mom," Yumi replied, pulling away from the hug. "The drive was fine. It was a little boring if anything."

The woman glanced at Gaara, whom was standing off to the side, shuffling his feet nervously. "And who is your little friend?" she asked Yumi, looking at the redhead through gentle eyes.

Yumi motioned for Gaara to come by her and the pre-teen complied. The young brunette placed a gentle hand on Gaara's shoulder and smiled at her mother.

"Mom, this is Gaara," she introduced. "Gaara, this is my mom, Patrice."

The older woman grinned and ensnared the redhead in tight embrace. "Just call me Patsy, hon," the woman cooed.

Yumi smirked at the display before her. Gaara wasn't trying to get away from her mother's hug, but she knew that he was most likely uncomfortable with the situation.

"Mom," Yumi spoke up, "Gaara isn't a big fan of hugs."

The gray-haired woman chuckled as she pulled away from the young boy, ruffling his hair as she did so. "Well, that doesn't surprise me. Most young men aren't very fond of getting hugs from us old ladies." Patsy turned away from Gaara and led the way up the path, into the house. "Follow me, you two, and I'll show you where you can put your things."

Gaara walked beside Yumi, glaring a hole into the ground as he walked. He heaved a deep sigh when he felt Yumi's hand on his shoulder again. "Thanks for stepping in," he murmured softly.

"Don't worry about it," she told him, smiling gently. "I told her not to get all huggy with you when I talked with her on the phone, but I guess she just couldn't help herself."

Gaara shrugged. "I'm starting to get used to it, but it's a little different when I'm not familiar with the person."

Yumi laughed softly and nodded. "You have nothing to worry about, kiddo. She's just my mom and is completely harmless."

The boy smiled slightly, shifting the strap of the bag on his shoulder to make it more comfortable to carry.

Patsy led the two of them to a room upstairs. "You two can sleep in here," she told them. "Ryu and his wife will be coming with their baby tomorrow. Everyone else will be coming here on Thanksgiving Day."

Yumi nodded and put her bags down on one of the beds. Gaara followed suit, placing his bags on the bed across the room from Yumi's. He sat down on the edge of it, staring at the floor in boredom.

"Dinner will be ready in about two hours," Patsy told them from her spot in the doorway. "Gaara, you can go out and look around for awhile if you want. I'll call you in when it gets close to supper time."

Gaara nodded and unzipped his backpack, pulling out a sketchbook and a couple pencils. "I'm going to check out the woods," Gaara informed Yumi as he hopped off the bed.

"Be careful," Yumi told him with a smile. The redhead nodded and vanished from the room.

Patsy grinned at her daughter and chuckled quietly. "He's a charming young man."

Yumi and laughed. "You've only known him for about three minutes," she pointed out.

The older woman shrugged. "That's all I need. I can just tell."

The daughter rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

**XxooooooxX**

Gaara walked down the path with the hood to his black jacket pulled up over his head. He clutched his drawing supplies close to him as he entered the woods. The trees were bare for the most part. Most of the leaves lay scattered across the ground, giving off brilliant warm colors.

After a while, the young pre-teen came to a small bridge. He slowly walked over it and sat down on its edge, letting his legs dangle beneath him. Gaara placed his sketchpad on his lap and began lightly drawing in it. Everything around him came to a standstill and faded into nonexistence. All of his focus went into the scene that was unfolding on the paper before him.

An hour had passed and Gaara was adding the finishing touches onto his drawing. Two teens stood a couple feet away from him, watching on with slight curiosity. Gaara was so engrossed with his drawing, however, that he didn't even realize he wasn't alone anymore.

"What are you drawing, kid?" one of the strangers finally spoke up.

Gaara jumped slightly, startled by the sudden noise and almost dropped his sketchbook in the creek. He looked over at the two boys, calming down after seeing what had suddenly disturbed him. Both boys looked to be a few years older than him. One of them had blonde hair that was pulled up into a ponytail and had light blue-gray eyes. The other one had short red hair like Gaara's, only a little lighter in color, and had light brown eyes.

"Un... What are you drawing?" the blonde asked again. The two boys were now slowly approaching him. Unable to find any words, Gaara just held up the sketchpad so they could see for themselves. The blue-eyed teen leaned over and looked at the landscape drawing, a small smirk gracing his lips.

"Un... Not bad, kid," he commented, shoving his hands into the pockets of his blue-jeans. "Could use a little work, un."

The blonde paused for a moment. "What's your name? I don't think we've met before."

The pre-teen flipped his drawing pad shut and got to his feet. "Gaara," he answered plainly. He didn't want to stick around much longer, especially around these strangers. Unless he was around someone he was familiar with, he didn't like talking to people, and especially to strangers. It always ended badly and he didn't want to upset Yumi.

"Un, welcome to our nick of the woods, Gaara," the blonde greeted. "I'm Deidara and this here is Sasori." Deidara motioned to the red-haired teen that was standing beside him. Gaara had almost forgotten that he was there, since he hadn't spoken a single word.

"We were about to––"

"I'm tired of waiting," Sasori interrupted.

Deidara looked at him, a smirk still playing at his lips. "Well, that doesn't surprise me any, un."

The brownish-gray eyed teen growled under his breath and took a swing at the blonde, missing his face by just an inch. Gaara watched in slight shock, knowing that he definitely didn't want to get involved with those two.

"Just hurry it up," Sasori told the blonde, calming back down.

"I should be heading back now anyway," Gaara murmured as the two teenagers bickered with each other. As he started to walk past them, they started to quiet down and Deidara rushed over to younger boy.

"Hey, I wanna give ya somethin' before I go," Deidara told Gaara, grabbing him by the shoulder and bringing him to a halt. The nervous boy looked over his shoulder at the smirking blonde. He watched as Deidara reached into a pouch that was tied around his waist. Seconds later, the teen was holding out a palm-sized clay figure. "Here's some _real_ art."

Gaara took the figurine and his eyes widened upon seeing Deidara's hands. There was a mouth tattooed onto each palm. Why would anyone do something like that?

Before Gaara had the chance to say anything, Deidara and Sasori were already walking swiftly down the path. The pre-teen sighed to himself and started walking in the opposite direction. As he walked back through the woods, he fingered the small clay figure. It was a little sculpture of a raccoon. The bottom of the figurine was flat and had something carved into it. _"Art is a blast!"_

Gaara mulled over the short message in his mind. He thought that Deidara would've engraved his name there instead. Shrugging his thoughts away, he went to pocket the small figurine.

Suddenly, a loud snap rang through the air, leaving the pre-teen stunned. The figurine had shattered into a thousand little pieces. It all happened so fast that the redhead took a moment to comprehend what had occurred.

A stinging sensation in his left hand brought him out of his initial state of shock. As soon as he looked down, he immediately regretted it. His body stiffened and his eyes widened upon seeing his injury. The whole front of his hand had gotten burned. On top of the burn, several shards of the sharp clay had been embedded into his palm. Blood slowly dripped from the wounds, causing the pre-teen to feel dizzy as he resisted the urge to kill the blonde that had given him the clay raccoon.

Biting back a sob that threatened to escape, he hid his hand inside his jacket. He did his best to keep his hand from touching anything, which was a lot harder than one might expect. Tears started welling up in his eyes, making everything blurry and causing him to stumble a few times.

It took the boy ten minutes to get back to the house. Yumi had just stepped out on the porch to call Gaara back for supper when he came trudging up the walkway. The pained expression on his face told her something was wrong and worry started to set in.

"Are you okay, Gaara?" she asked, stepping off the porch to meet him partway. The young boy bit his bottom lip and looked away from Yumi as he slowly took out his left hand. Yumi's eyes widened in alarm and she brought a hand up to her mouth, stifling a gasp. The whole inside of his hand was a light shade of red. His fingers twitched involuntarily, most likely due to the nerves on the skin that had been singed. Besides the large burn, there were several small cuts and gashes in his hand. There were even little bits of glass-like stuff protruding from the skin. The blood flow was starting to pick up a bit and some of the crimson liquid started dripping onto the cement.

"Oh, Gaara," she murmured sadly. The pre-teen still had his head turned and had his eyes shut tight as well. Yumi wrapped an arm around his shoulders. With her free hand, she gently took hold of his wrist and made sure that he kept his palm facing upwards.

"Let's get that taken care of," Yumi told him calmly, leading him onto the porch and into the house.

"Mom!" the woman called from the front door. "Could you get me a first-aid kit?"

The old woman appeared in the hallway as Yumi and Gaara swiftly walked into the bathroom. Her hazel eyes widened in shock but she quickly returned to her senses and got a small first-aid kit out from the hall closet. She set the white plastic box on the bathroom counter and looked at her daughter with worried eyes.

"Do you have everything under control, dear?" she asked sweetly.

Yumi looked up at her mother and nodded slightly. "I think so," she answered softly. "Thank you." The old woman nodded and left the small bathroom.

The brunette placed Gaara's hand on the counter with his palm up and opened the medical kit. After rummaging through it, looking for something to pull the small shards of clay out from his hand, she pulled out a pair of tweezers.

"Alright, I want you to sit up on the counter," she told him, moving everything off to the side so that there was room for him to take a seat. Yumi helped him up onto the counter, paying extra attention to his injury.

As gently as she could, she held his hand in hers, the back of his hand against her palm. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked as she started picking out small bloody shards and dropping them onto the counter top.

He bit back a small cry as the cold metal came into contact with his burn. "Some kid...," he began, gritting his teeth together as the pain seemed to worsen. "H-He...gave me... a sculpture...," Gaara paused again, trying to keep himself under control. Breaking down into a crying mess never helped anything and he wasn't about to start making a habit of it.

"It exploded," he finished. As he said those words, the message that had been etched into the bottom of the raccoon appeared in his mind. _"Art is a blast!"_

Yumi nodded as she picked out the last of the clay shards. "You're lucky that this was all the damage that you took," the woman told him, helping him off the counter and leading him over to the sink.

Sea-green intently watched Yumi turn on the cool water. Gaara braced himself for more pain as his injured hand was placed under the faucet. He bowed his head, keeping his eyes shut tight. Blood mixed with water swirled down the drain. The pain that had been expected was dull, which was a relief to the young boy.

"Keep your hand under there for a minute," Yumi instructed. Gaara opened his eyes and looked up into the woman's emerald green eyes. "I'm going to get some burn lotion and I'll be right back. But first, do you know the name of the person that gave you the sculpture?"

"Deidara," he murmured, averting his eyes to the ground in shame. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize," the woman told him. "It's not your fault. You had no idea something like that was going to happen." Gaara nodded, still not looking up at her. "I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Yumi came back with a tube of burn ointment. Following close behind her was an elderly man.

The water was turned off and a towel was laid out on the counter. Yumi gently placed Gaara's hand on the towel and stepped back. The old man approached the redhead, kneeling down beside him and smiling gently.

"You must be Gaara," he inferred, his eyes wandering over his burnt hand. The shy boy nodded, looking down at the ground. "It's nice to meet you, although I wish something like this hadn't happened. I'm Doctor Kai Morita. Before we put any medicine on your burn, I want to take a quick look at it."

Gaara nodded again and finally raised his eyes to see the man that was helping him. The man looked as if he were in his early sixties. He had Asian features that were extremely noticeable around the eyes. His hair was starting to gray and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown.

Dr. Morita quickly washed his hands before kneeling back down beside Gaara and observing the burn. The pre-teen winced as the old man ran his fingertips over the palm of his hand.

"Can you bend your fingers for me?" the doctor asked him. Gaara nodded, bending his fingers slightly. "Don't try to bend them anymore than that for awhile. They're a little swollen so that's as far as they're going to go for the time being."

Kai stood up and stepped aside. "You can put some of that ointment on his hand and then wrap it up for him," he told Yumi. "He's a lucky kid. It's just an irritating first degree burn. If it's taken care of properly, he'll probably only have a slight scar near the center of his palm."

"Thanks, dad." The old man nodded and left the two alone. Yumi squirted some cold gel onto Gaara's hand and gently rubbed it in. Once she had coated the burn, she took out some bandages and wrapped them around his hand and fingers.

"There you go."

Gaara looked at his hand and sighed. "Thank you, Yumi."

The brunette grinned and gave him a quick hug. "No problem. But be expected to get a lot of questions about that when everybody gets here for Thanksgiving."

Gaara shrugged. "It's fine."

"Good. Now let's go eat before the food gets any colder."

* * *

**_So... I got this done sooner than I had expected. Once I got into writing it, I kept at it until I had the chapter pretty much completed._**

**_So I had Deidara and Sasori in here. I probably could've done more with them, but I knew that I probably would've made them completely OOC if I had given myself much more freedom than that. I hope it wasn't too bad. . But other than that, I'm actually quite pleased with this chapter for the most part. _**

**_A big special thanks to the following reviewers:_**

**_Me and Gaara 4ever, Akasuna no Akane, Gaara-frenzy, NeferNeferi, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Black Claided Cat, and Hikari-bunnie._**

**_You guys are so wonderful! They really help and because they have made me so happy, I posted this chapter 2 days earlier than I had originally planned. Thanks to everyone that has added SMFI to their favorites and their alert lists. It makes me so happy to see how far this story has come. I would love it if some of you guys left reviews too. That would be SUPER amazing. :D_**

**_And speaking about how far this story has come, I've been going back and (slowly but surely) and doing some editing. I think this story really deserves the "make-over". I alread edited the first chapter, but I haven't put it up yet. I need to read through it a couple more times first. But anyway, just be aware of that. ^___^_**

**_Thanks again for all the support from everyone. I hope to continue to meet your expectations. :D_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!!!!!_**


	39. Gifts for Kerri

The short Thanksgiving break had ended and school had started back up again. Thankfully, Gaara's wound had started healing and he was able to go to school without the bandages. He knew that he would've gotten plenty of questions about his hand if the dressings were still on. His injury was much more inconspicuous without any bandages and he appreciated that.

Two days of miserably slow classes went by. None of the students were sure how they were going to make it through the rest of the week if the current pace continued. Even Gaara, who usually paid no mind to this factor, found it painfully sluggish. It hadn't seemed this way before, so why was it feeling so now? The workload hadn't increased or decreased, and the teachers' lectures were the same as always. So why did everything seem to be dragging out?

Gaara was in history, which he considered to be the longest class with the most busy work. Kurenai had just handed out a map that covered the areas that their new unit would be focusing on.

"You all have the rest remainder of the class to label all the listed areas on this map," Kurenai informed them. "I expect them to be turned in, completed, before you leave this room. You may work in groups of two, and that is only if you keep the noise down. If I find that everyone is getting too loud, then I'll turn the assignment into individual work."

After making her expectations clear, she sat down at her desk in the front of the room. Everyone quietly got busy, finding a partner to work with and opening his or her text book to the appropriate section.

Gaara jumped slightly upon feeling someone poking him in the back of the head with a pencil. Calming himself, he slowly turned around and stared at the smiling boy sitting behind him.

"What is it, Sai?" the redhead asked monotonously.

The brown-eyed boy continued to smile as he pointed at the map on his desk. "Want to work together? We could probably get it done a lot faster."

Gaara nodded and turned his chair around to share the desk with the other boy. They split the work in half and silently began working on the map.

"Are you free to work on the art project after school tomorrow?" Sai finally asked after about five minutes of silence. Sea-green eyes peered up from the worksheet, finding that the other pre-teen was still busily completing the assignment.

"Most likely," Gaara answered nonchalantly as he filled in another blank. "Can you give me more of an idea of what we're doing?" The redhead ran his fingers across the page in his textbook, his eyes scanning the colorful map for the next country on his list.

Sai paused from his work, twirling his pencil between his fingers thoughtfully. A minute or two later, he finally responded. "I'm guessing it will be kind of like a painting, but we're going to put some three-dimensional aspects to it. Haku mentioned doing something to add different textures to the painting as well."

Gaara nodded, resting his elbow on the desk. "I should be able to come, but I have to double check with Yumi first." The brunette nodded as well, going back to work on the map.

**XxooooooxX**

"Gaara!" a young woman called out from behind him.. The redhead spun around just as his blind female friend reached a hand out, searching for him. He quickly grabbed his lunch and shut his locker before meeting her touch. Kerri graced him with a grin and held onto his arm securely.

"I missed not being able to talk to you over break," she informed him with a slight pout as they started walking towards the cafeteria. "How was your trip?"

Gaara thought about what to tell her. He didn't want to mention about the little incident that had happened after meeting Deidara. "It was... interesting," he stated plainly. "How was yours?"

"Horrible!" she exclaimed.

The boy raised a thin eyebrow st her. "How so?"

"We had to fly on a plane and I absolutely hate airports. The plane was late and everyone was so rude to my aunt and me. It's a hard task finding your seat when the numbers aren't labeled in Braille."

Gaara smirked at her and opened the double doors to the cafeteria. The two walked through the small crowd that was forming and sat down at the table they normally sat at. "That sounds frustrating," he commented as he opened his bagged lunch.

"It was," she confirmed, doing the same, "but I got over it."

"Anything else happen?"

"When Auntie's brother picked us up from the airport, the car ended up getting a flat tire. The good news about that, though, was that it wasn't until after we pulled into the driveway."

"That's good." Gaara took a bite out of his sandwich and continued listening to Kerri's story.

"But that's about it. Aunt Debra dropped the pumpkin pie on the floor and the stuff splattered everywhere, but I found that super hilarious, if anything. The rest of the trip went rather smoothly." The girl started munching on her carrot sticks.

"I'm glad your trip was safe."

Kerri smiled and nodded. "I'm glad yours was too. How was meeting the rest of Yumi's family?"

Gaara took a swig from his water bottle before setting it back down on the table. "I felt a little out of place," he admitted, "but they all seemed like good people."

"That's good!" Kerri chirped.

"Hey, Kerri!" a cheerful voice greeted. "Hey, Gaara! What's up?"

Gaara averted his eyes to the blonde knucklehead that sat down next to Kerri. The blind girl smiled and greeted Naruto with the same amount of cheerfulness. More of their friends started filling the table and the conversations began to thicken.

"You're birthday is coming up, right?" Naruto asked Kerri.

She nodded. "Two more weeks."

"Sweet! Are you going to be having a party or something."

Kerri shook her head. "No, probably not. I'm not much of a party person."

"Well, then we'll have to do something nice for you."

Kerri laughed and nodded. "Okay!"

**XxooooooxX**

Yumi walked into the apartment, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips upon hearing someone doing the dishes in the kitchen. She knew it was the small pre-teen. For the past week, Gaara had been doing extra chores around the house in order to earn more money for his allowance. According to the redhead, Kerri's birthday was just around the corner and he had the perfect gift idea in mind. In fact, Yumi had made a quick stop after work and picked it up.

The curly haired woman walked into the kitchen, smiling at the boy as she sat down at the small table. She set her purse and tote bag down on the surface before her, releasing a deep sigh.

"How was your day, hon?" she asked, watching as Gaara started hand drying the dishes.

The scrawny boy turned around to face the woman. "It was fine," he answered monotonously. "Can I stay after school tomorrow to work on a project with Sai and Haku?"

"Of course! Just be sure to call me when you need to me to come pick you up." Gaara nodded. "Guess what I picked up today?"

The pre-teen watched as Yumi took a small white envelope out from her tote bag, holding it up for him to see. "The tickets?" he answered hopefully. The tiniest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. Yumi grinned and nodded, holding the envelope out to him.

Gaara set his chore off to the side for a moment and took the envelope from Yumi. He opened it and took the tickets from it, observing them. The tickets were for the symphony that would be performing in a couple weeks. Kerri loved music, so he wanted to take her to see the symphony. He was hoping that she didn't already make plans or something. The two of them hadn't really hung out together since Halloween, so he thought this would also be a good opportunity to do that as well.

"Thank you, Yumi."

The brunette nodded and grinned at him. "Now go and put those away somewhere so you don't lose them." Gaara nodded and went to go stash them away in his room.

**XxooooooxX**

The next day, Gaara stayed after school and met with both Haku and Sai in the art room. The trio sat at one of the tables, brainstorming on what they should do for their project.

"What should the picture be of?" Haku asked, drumming his fingers against the wooden surface.

"Something we can use a lot of different textures with," Sai murmured, deep in thought.

Gaara's elbow was propped up on the table with his chin resting in the palm of his hand. He was also thinking hard.

"How about a beach scene?" the fiery-haired male offered after several minutes of silence.

The other two mulled over his suggestion for a moment before smiling and nodding in agreement.

"I think that would be perfect, Gaara," Haku commented happily.

"You have anything more specific in mind?" Sai asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's it going to incorporate?"

Gaara closed his eyes and pictured the scene before him. "Sand," he murmured, his eyes still closed. "Towels laid out, people, water, clouds, sailboats, birds..."

His eyes opened and he went silent. He looked at the two boys sitting across the table from him, growing uncomfortable at the way they were staring at him with giant grins plastered on their faces.

"That's perfect!" Haku chirped. "Kerri's going to love it!"

Sai nodded in agreement, and the three of them began planning out the project and listing the supplies that would be needed.

**XxooooooxX**

The next day at school, Gaara met up with Kerri before lunch so that he could walk her to the lunch room. She was in a very good mood, like she normally was, and it rubbed off on the red-haired teen.

"Kerri, are you busy next Saturday," Gaara asked.

The blind girl brought a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Nope!" she chirped. "Not that I know of. Why do you ask? Do you have something in mind?"

"I wanted to take you to the symphony for your birthday," he told her nonchalantly. He looked at his friend upon feeling her fingers tightening on his arm. "Do you want to go?"

"You don't have to do something like that for me," Kerri told him bashfully, looking away from him in an attempt to hide her blush.

"I already have the tickets," Gaara told her, smirking slightly.

The girl giggled. "Alrighty then. I'd love to go, Gaara. You still shouldn't have gone through that kind of trouble for me, but it's very thoughtful of you nonetheless. Thanks!"

The shy teen stiffened as Kerri gave him a quick single-armed embrace. He relaxed after the close contact ended, and they continued their silent walk to the lunchroom where they could enjoy the company of their friends.

**XxoooooxX**

Haku, Sai, and Gaara gathered around their blind friend before school on Friday. The girl could feel their energies around her, so she turned in their direction and grinned.

"What's up?!" she chirped, staying seated in her chair.

"We made something for you," Haku announced happily.

"Think of it as an early birthday present," Sai added, smiling his cheesy fake smile.

"What is it?" she asked as the long haired boy placed the artwork on her desk before her.

"Find out for yourself," Gaara finally spoke up. He gently took one of the female's slender wrists and placed her hand on the surface of the picture.

Kerri gently ran her hand over the cardboard, her eyes widening slightly upon her discovery. Her fingertips brushed over what felt like sand. Scattered in several different places in the sand were tiny bumps, which after closer inspection, she found to be tiny shells. In one place, there was a strip of cloth that reminded her of what a towel felt like. She smiled as she made out a little stick figure that was lying on the towel.

Her fingers slowly made their way up the cardboard, the texture changing once more. _"Foil?"_ she silently questioned. In the foil, little groups of about four spikes or so were scattered over the area. There were also little fish that were engraved into foil. Pasted on top of the foil a small chunk of wood that had been carved into the shape of a semi-circle. The curved part of the shape was facing downward. Attached to the flat part was a Popsicle stick, and attached to the stick was a piece of smooth cloth that had been cut into a triangle. Kerri smiled, noticing that it was a little sailboat.

Lastly, she moved on to the sky. Her fingers ran over the painted surface, occasionally coming into contact with soft cotton, which was used to represent the clouds.

When Kerri finished examining the picture, she smiled and turned towards her three friends. She grabbed two of them, which happened to be Haku and Sai, and gave them a giant embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered happily. The two boys were released as they nodded. Kerri smirked as she grabbed the third boy and hugged him tightly as well.

"You guys are so good to me," she cooed. The three males smirked.

"It was no problem at all," Haku assured her.

"We had a lot of fun while making it anyway," Sai added.

Gaara looked up at the clock and sighed. "I have to go to my next class," he told them. "I'll see you later." His friends nodded and waved as he slowly exited the classroom.

* * *

**_Hey all. I'm going to keep this as short and to the point as I can._**

**_First off, sorry about taking so long to update. I have symptoms that are closely related to carpol tunnels in my right wrist and it was extremely painful. All typing I did was done with my left hand alone, so it was extremely slow progress. Then I had to stop for awhile to give my wrist some rest so that wouldn't start getting painful as well. I've been doing a lot less typing because my right hand isn't completely back to normal, although the pain has decreased a considerable amount._**

**_Secondly, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. I start my first year of college on Monday and I really need to devote most of my time to my studies. That, combined with my wrist problem is going to make it difficult to update regularly. I would like to, and am aiming to post AT LEAST 1 chapter each month, but don't hold me to it._**

**_A special thanks to the following people for reviewing last chapter:_**

**_Me and Gaara 4ever, Gaara-frenzy, Hikari-bunnie, MidniteCurse4Eternity, Zai-chan13, and Kit-Kat Punk-lover._**

**_Thanks so much._**

**_Also, I'm going to try end this story within the next couple chapters. I don't want to drag it on much more. As much as I love this story, I feel that dragging the story out more with fillers only diminishes the quality and I would really hate for that to happen, so I think 2 or 3 more chapters is going to be it. Also, even though I enjoyed writing this story, I have other plot ideas for new stories that I would like to start (both fanfiction and original pieces) and that I'm really excited about._**

**_Next chapter (I'm really looking forward to writing this one), Gaara is going to be taken out of his comfort zone! I got this idea kind of from another fanfic, but it's a little different as well. What is going to happen? Well... you're just going to have to stay tuned in order to find out. ^___^_**

**_Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!! THANKS!_**


	40. Finale

Gaara and Kerri sat in the center row of the concert hall, waiting patiently for the performance to begin. People were all around them, conversing quietly and slowly searching for their seats. The two pre-teens were slightly out of place. Most of the audience members were adults, but that didn't matter to them.

"Can you believe that Kakashi-sensei is giving us homework to do over the break?" Kerri asked her friend, trying to start up a conversation.

"I can believe it," he answered nonchalantly. "He likes torturing us after all."

The blonde nodded, giggling softly.

Instruments could be heard playing in the background. The tympani drums could be heard above the others, their notes dipping and rising as the musician tried to tune it. Kerri smiled at this, finding the sound humorous.

After the orchestra had finished tuning, the concert began. The two teens sat quietly, listening to the beautiful music that filled the music hall. They were entranced by the melodies and harmonies. Time quickly passed by, neither of them even taking notice. After about an hour and a half, the concert ended and everyone began to file out of the building.

Gaara carefully guided Kerri down the aisle and out onto the street where they were Seiji had agreed to pick them up.

"Do you want to stay at my place for a little while?" Kerri asked her friend. "We can play cards or something."

Gaara nodded. "Sounds fine with me."

**XxooooooxX**

Gaara was sitting on Kerri's bed, looking down at the cards in his hand with a blank look plastered on his face. The blonde female sat on her bed along with Gaara, holding her cards and waiting for the boy to take his turn.

Finally, the pre-teen discarded his unwanted card and tapped Kerri on the shoulder to inform her that it was her turn. "It's still spades," he informed her.

The girl felt the corners of her cards, searching for the correct one. Finding it, she took it out of her hand and set it down in the discard pile.

"What do you want to do after this?" Gaara asked with boredom as he took his turn and tapped the other player on the shoulder.

Kerri smirked and played another card. "Why? How many card do you have left?"

Gaara smirked this time, placing his last card in the discard pile. "None."

The blind girl scowled, throwing her remaining cards at her friend. "You probably cheated!" she declared.

He chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes at the childish behavior that was being displayed in front of him. "So what if I did?" Gaara asked, deciding to play along with his friend. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to make you owe me another favor," she answered. Kerri lowered her head, feeling slightly embarrassed, although the redhead had no idea why.

"Yeah? And what would that be?"

The slender female faltered for a moment before willing herself to continue. "You're going to let me see you."

Gaara raised an eyebrow at her. "How are you..." He stopped himself as realization suddenly dawned on him. The girl turned her head away to hide her blush while Gaara stared at her, biting his bottom lip in thought. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable about the idea and not at all fond of it. This confused him because he just couldn't let himself turn her down.

"Then I guess I'll let you," he murmured, looking down at the floor with uncertain eyes.

"Are you sure, Gaara?"

He nodded. "I trust you."

The cards were moved aside and Kerri scooted closer to him. The girl nervously brought her hands up to her friend's face, cupping his cheeks in her palms. A smile graced her lips upon feeling the warmth radiating from his cheeks.

"I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you," she apologized. "You can tell me to stop whenever you get too uncomfortable."

Her hands moved up the side of his face and rested on top of his head. Fingers tangled themselves in blood-red locks. Gaara relaxed under this touch, finding it soothing as the fingers ran through his hair.

Kerri giggled softly at her friend's reaction and continued running her fingers through his hair. She ran them down the back of his head, lightly brushing her fingers over his neck and making him squirm slightly.

"Ticklish?" she asked playfully, brushing her fingers over his sensitive skin once more.

Gaara pulled away from her, glaring at her halfheartedly. He understood that she was just teasing him, but he was uncomfortable enough with just allowing her to touch him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'll stop now, I promise."

Gaara nodded and allowed his friend to continue her exploration. She went back to playing with his hair, feeling how long his hair was.

"You need a hair cut," she whispered, an amused smile playing at her lips.

"I like it the way it is," he replied.

"Fair enough." She pet his head with a small giggle before sliding her hands down the side of his head. Kerri traced one of his ears with her index finger before cupping his cheeks in her hands.

She used both thumbs to trace over his cheek bones, following the curves towards his eyes. Eyelids closed as she felt over his eyes, discovering their shape. Her fingers then trailed down the bridge of his nose and continue to explore. She examined his jawline, his chin, and lastly his lips.

Why she saved his lips for last, Gaara wasn't sure. His body tensed again as one of her thumbs traced his lips. A blush spread across his cheeks upon remembering how it had felt when he had kissed Kerri for the first time. No matter how many times he had tried to forget about the ordeal, he just couldn't. It remained forever in engraved in his mind. Not only did he find that he couldn't get rid of the memory, but he found that as the date for the symphony concert came closer, the memory arose more and more often. Something inside of him told him that there was something special between Kerri and him and that if he waited too long, then she could be gone. So what was he supposed to do?

"You're very handsome," Kerri told her friend shyly.

Gaara looked up at the female with surprised eyes, realizing that the girl had finished her observing and had withdrawn her hands. He also noticed the light blush that painted her cheeks, as well as the sadness that was glistening in her unseeing eyes.

"Kerri…" The girl's ears perked up upon hearing her friend speak to her. She tilted her head to the side questioningly. Gaara averted his eyes to the ground, struggling to find the words he wanted to use. "I-I… umm… it's…" The redhead growled in frustration, running a hand through his hair. His body trembled slightly, showing the height of his aggravation.

"You what?" Kerri asked calmly. She placed a gentle hand on Gaara's shoulder, encouraging him to continue.

"I… uh… r-really l-l-like you." His cheeks burned from embarrassment and the fact that Kerri was just sitting there, grinning at him, didn't help one bit.

"I know, Gaara. I really like you too. We established that already, remember?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, b-but…" he paused and looked at his female friend with sad eyes. "M-My heart… it feels something too." Gaara said this last part softer, almost whispering it.

Kerri took the pre-teen's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "So does mine," she told him.

"Does… does that mean you won't replace me with someone else?"

The girl nodded slightly, still smiling. She hugged Gaara tightly and whispered in his ear, "No one will ever take your place, Gaara."

~XendX~

_**A.N.::**_

_**Okay... so I know it's been about a year since I've posted a chapter. I don't really have any actual excuses, unless you call "losing interest" an excuse. That's basically what happened. Once college started and my focus was averted to creating original pieces of work, I kind of lost my interest for writing fanfiction... especially this one. This fanfic, ever since Gaara got out of the insane asylum and Kerri was introduced into the story, I've been kind of feeling uninterested in the fic. And as I went back and re-read the story, I was unhappy with my writing style and with how much I left out of the story. I was also kind of angry at myself for the "whiny" persona I gave Gaara.**_

_**Anyway... after taking a year of creative writing and working on solidifying my writing style (which is STILL in the developing stage), I have decided that I am going to rewrite "Save Me from Insanity". And by re-write, I really do mean writing the whole thing over again- some things will be removed, some stuff will stay the same, character personalities will be stronger based, and the story will most likely be written into two parts (mostly because I felt that this version should have ended when Gaara was released from the mental hospital... so now it will be split into two parts, and the second part will instead revolve around the canon characters of the series... so the only main OC in parts 1 and 2 will be Yumi... and I'm thinking about changing her name too, so that it is more befitting of her character.)**_

_**I'm really sorry if this upsets some of you... (I wonder if people will still be reading this after it's been so long since the last update...) I'm hoping that you all will read the re-edited version. I'm excited about the new possibilities I'm opening up for myself in the upcoming version. **_

_**Thank you everyone for all of your support. I really appreciate it. Please review and let me know what you think.  
**_


	41. First Chapter of Rewrite Posted

_**Hey all!**_

_**I just posted the first chapter of the rewrite version up. It has the same name, only with (rewrite) attached to the end of it- with the parentheses and all. :D Please check it out and leave a review.**_

_**Thank you all!  
**_


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